The Zookeeper's wife

Midway through 2016, I saw that this book was to be turned into a movie, as I like to read books before viewing the movie. I decided to download this onto my device. 

Under the title, is a subtitle saying 'a war story". I thought this would be a work of fiction. It is however, excerpts from a number of diaries of Polish people. Diane Ackerman has weaved them together in this book. At times it reads of a work of fiction, sharing romantic moments of life during the war time but then it is interspersed with facts about animal behaviour, and then the horror of the ghetto cleansing. I do not find the book cohesive at all and it took a while to get into it. Once I treated each chapter as a stand alone short story I began to make progress, having said this, at present I have not finished reading it. I find it interesting but think I will maybe watch the movie first for this story. 

After you

I read the first in this series back in April. I was overwhelmed with emotion reading that book. I laughed and cried a lot. So I finally felt I could read what came next for Louisa Clark. This book had me crying once again. I enjoyed reading her story and wondered at the end, is there another Louisa Clark story to tell. Sadly at this point in time, Jojo Moyes doesn't think so...

The view from Saturday

How has Mrs. Olinski chosen her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? She had a number of answers. But were any of them true? How had she really chosen Noah and Nadia and Ethan and Julian? And why did they make such a good team? It was a surprise to a lot of people when Mrs. Olinski's team won the sixth-grade Academic Bowl contest at Epiphany Middle School. It was an even bigger surprise when they beat the seventh grade and the eighth grade, too. And when they went on to even greater victories, everyone began to ask: How did it happen?

This is a tale about a team, a class, a school, a series of contests and, set in the midst of this, four jewel-like short stories -- one for each of the team members -- that ask questions and demonstrate surprising answers. 

A thoroughly enjoyable read, that leaves you thinking way after you have closed the book. I read this as part of a Newberry medal reading challenge. It's the 1997 medal winner, it's  not the first Newberry medal book I have read. I read the 2002 winner   A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin) , 2001 honour book Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press), 2000 honour book 26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola (Putnam), 1994 medal winner The Giver by Lois Lowry (Houghton), 1992 medal winner: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Atheneum), 1968 medal winner: From the mixed up files of Mrs Basil E. Franweiler also by E.L. Konigsburg. I also have read 1957 honor book:Old Yeller by Fred Gipson, 1948 honour book Li Lun, Lad of Courage by Carolyn Treffinger (Abingdon), 1945 honour book The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes (Harcourt), 1933 medal winner Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Lewis (Winston),

Pax

Just finished this novel, suitable for 11 year old children or older. It is about a boy, Peter, who is forced  to leave his pet fox at the side of the road after he goes to live with his grandfather. This book is told in alternative voices. The boy and the fox. Both the fox and Peter go searching for one another. This book is timeless. I can't work out whether it is told in the past or in a future apocalyptic world. Very descriptive and emotive story.

The Guernsey Literary and potato peel pie society

This interesting book is told completely through letters back and forth from an author, Juliet to her best friend, publisher and the residents of Guernsey. They recount the time of the occupation of the Germans during WWII and afterwards. It is historical as well as a love story. An interesting read.

I selected this book for a read around the world but the jury is still out, is Guernsey a country?

Facing the lion

The 8th country I visited whilst reading around the world is Kenya!

Facing the lion is an autobiography from Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton. It tells about growing up as a Maasai warrior. Joseph went to school when he was six years old and was determined to do well as his parents sold their precious cattle in order for him to attend. He won a scholarship and continued his studies over in America. A wonderful story of how he blends the traditions of the Maasai with the his life of a student and continues to raise an understanding of his tribes way of life.

The light between oceans

I had seen this title on many reading lists, and it wasn't until I saw the trailer for the movie that I raced out to get a copy. I bought the book at the airport on our return flight home from Christchurch. Thinking I had a few months to read it, I was surprised when my husband told me they released the movie last week. So I got reading.

I got halfway through the book and I had to put my attention to other things. So there it stayed waiting for me to pick it up and when I did, I read it in one sitting. It was a real page turner the minute I got back into the story. Thoroughly took me along page after page. I cried in lots of moments along the way. And so, I finished another great story this year. A story from my home country and a memorable one too. 

And so this is the 7th book read in my read around the world book challenge.

Oranges in No Man's Land

This story is set in war torn Beirut in Lebanon. Ayesha's mum is killed in a building blast, and Ayesha is left to assist her Granny care for her two brothers. This story is about their survival.

This novel is the 6th read for my read around the world reading challenge. I now have read books from the Israel, Lebanon, Rwanda, South Korea, Sudan and the United States.

The Kite Fighters

This is the second story I've read by Linda Sue Park, and I think I will look out for more titles by this author. The first was titled A Single Shard and my most recent, The Kite Fighters.

Both stories are set in Korea, and so this is another title read from my around the world reading challenge. This is story is much about two brothers growing up as well as the excitement and joy from flying kites. Highly recommend this short story.

5th title in my read around the world challenge.

One more river

In my attempt to read around the world before I'm 50, I chose One More River by Lynne Reid Banks to read for Israel. She has also written Indian in the Cupboard, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. This is another children's title for older readers. Set in the 60s, Lesley is upset when her parents decide to leave Canada for Israel. They leave their luxuries and live in a Kibbutz. This is told before the war took place in the late 60s. An interesting read as I knew nothing about life in Israel in this time period. I will try and track down the sequel Broken Bridge.

So now I have read 4 countries, in my attempt to read around the world. I didn't realise where they were located until I made this map.

Set in the US

I have challenged myself to read around the world before I am 50. I have read 2 books towards this challenge, and I have read two more books off my to be read list, both set in the USA. So I am going to count one of these towards my challenge. The first book I read was called Everything I never told you.

It was full of intrigue. A girl goes missing in the first chapter, she is found dead. The book tries to uncover the how and why. I actually found it really sad. A good read.

The next was We were liars. 

Equally as intriguing, why are they called liars? What has happened to Cadence? It is also a sad story.   

One thousand hills

This another title for my book challenge to read around the world. This book is set in Rwanda, and is the second book read. This book tells about Pascal's experiences leading up to the horrific events in Rwanda in 1994. I was shocked to hear what happened. Not much was in the media about the events detailed in the book.  A good read.

The long walk home

I have set myself a challenge to read around the world. I am hoping to have read one book from most countries before I am 50. Currently there are 195 recognised countries in the world, and I have done some research and found titles for some of them. 

The first book I have read for my challenge is set in Sudan. It starts off with Nya's story carrying water back from the well to her house twice a day. One trip takes half a day. Woven with this story is Salva's recount of events involving the war in Sudan and him becoming a refugee. 

It is a short story, and it wasn't until I finished that I realised it was based on a true story. I thoroughly enjoyed this short story.

Books I've enjoyed

Ohhh! I loved If I Stay so much I went online and bought Where she went immediately after finishing it. I waited for the mailman to deliver it everyday and life went on hold the moment it arrived. I devoured the book in an afternoon. I highly recommend this two book series.

I owned this book and the movie was coming out in January... Well I didn't read the book before it was released but thank goodness I made time for this. It was hard reading some of the scenes but I felt for the characters during the escape, and felt for Jack as comes to learn about life on the outside.

Another one due to be released as film this year... And I will have to take the tissues... I cried throughout the book. It was a truly fabulous read I'll be asking all my friends to read it, so I can discuss with them the storyline. Now should I read the next instalment part 2...

Erin's book challenge

So I haven't really tried to get this one done but I have read three of the nine books I challenged myself to read. 

Read a book at least 200 pages long... This was my book club selection in January, and I absolutely loved it. So glad I got the chance to read it... The girls loved it too. We had a great discussion about it the following month.

Amazon reads top 100 author is Stephen King, an author I have never read. This book was based on a baseball player and my son is into baseball so I thought I would give this one a go... Well, I don't know whether it's the genre or the author, but I didn't find this suspenseful just drawn out. Maybe it's not one of his better novels, but I don't want to read a Stephen King novel for quite a while.

Read a book that will make you laugh... Hmm.. Chelsea Handler is a comedian. I thought I would laugh, I actually squirmed listening to this. 

Hopefully I will continue to plod away at this list and finish before the year ends.

audible books

I have expanded my reading collection into audiobooks. I listen to them everyday in my drive to and from work. I think it's a productive use of my time and it allows me to escape from the traffic jams and thoughts of work. 

 

Having not seen the movie yet, I decided to give The Dressmaker a go, it was narrated by Rachel Griffiths. I enjoyed it thoroughly and nearly had to stop the car at one point as I was completely shocked by the turn of events. Worst.. I had no one to share it with.

This isn't my usual read... And I couldn't listen to it with anyone also in the car, as I would feel embarrassed by Chelsea Handler discussing her one night stands and sexual encounters. I enjoyed listening to comedian Miranda Hart last year, so another comedian's life story was what I was hoping to enjoy. But this just made me squirm, Chelsea Handler is not my style. 

Wow! I don't know if it was the narration but I got caught up in the suspense of this book. I read a review, if you liked Gone Girl, this is Gone Gran. Not as sinister as Gone Girl, but very suspenseful, an engaging story.

Di Morrissey... I have enjoyed many an Australian saga by this author. I was a bit taken aback by the narration of this by a male, but he had the minor characters voices played well. Just don't know if he should have also read Bella's role. This book's description took me to the Northern Queensland tropics... I want to plan a trip there ASAP.

Kate Winslet's narration made this classic come alive. I don't think I would have ever read the actual book, but with this audiobook, I actually wanted to discover all the classics I haven't read by these A list actors narrating.

Orphan train, this historical fiction was engaging. I could imagine myself watching the action unfold. I liked the two eras narration.

I wonder what I will listen to when work goes back!