Books Read

No T.V. and lots of free time.  These are the books I have read in my first 6 months.

Defending Jacob by William Landay

I liked this book a lot.  It is a story about a family, a murder, a trial.  The ending is not a total surprise, but you are kept guessing throughout the book about what really happened.  The characters are interesting and believable.  The author made me feel their anguish and the conclusions they each came to as the story evolves.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

This is the story of a woman who survived in Russia during World War II.  It is about her and her daughters in the present day and she tells her story about the war as a fairytale.

Her life was brutal, but I suspect it is historical fiction in the description of what happened in Leningrad when the Germans attacked.

11/22/63  by Stephen King

Someone goes back in time to stop the assignation of John Kennedy.  I could not put it down.

The Bonfires of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe,

I had never read Tom Wolfe before and started the book thinking I was not going to like it.  It seemed to be making a statement about society from page 1.  I think it is a social commentary, but the characters really come alive as the book goes on and I found them sympathetic and tragic and unlikeable and believable and likable and I think about them still even though I finished to book quite a while ago.

Bangkok Tattoo by Sonchai Jipleecheep

Story about the sex industry in Bangkok told from the point of view of people involved in it in several different ways.  It makes you believe you are getting an inside look at how Thais see the life of prostitution.

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott

It is some thoughts on faith. Enjoyable.

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

The true story of a woman’s year in federal prison.  It has a lot to say about incarceration, poverty, racism and what prisons are really like.  It was very touching and I appreciated the honesty of the author and all the people who shared her experience, mostly her fellow inmates.

The Dove Keepers by Alice Hoffman

The author says she is not an historian, but this is historical fiction.  It is based on something that happened in Israel in the early years after Christ.  I was glad I didn’t know the story before I read the book so it could unfold without knowing the outcome. It is told from the point of view of 4 women and their daily lives and their role in the society.

Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl by Linda Brent

An autobiography of a woman who was a slave in the South written in 1861.  It is brutal in some of its description of the treatment of slaves, but she has amazing insights into the evil of slavery for both the slave and the slave holder.  She tells her story of growing up a slave, what happened to her and her family and how she ended up free.  A very touching book that is probably a rare glimpse of the details of one woman’s life as a slave in America.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The story of how cells were obtained from one woman that went on to be a huge contribution to the medical research using cells.  The book tells the story of Henrietta’s family and how they responded to science using her cells.  It is also pretty detailed, in lay terms, about cell research and what it has contributed to finding cures for deseases.

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

The story of a writer from his childhood to being a success as an adult.  It is an interesting story and the author’s use of language is captivating.   I like the story, but especially enjoyed the history of the anti-communism campaign in America after the war.  It is truly frightening that we interned the Japanese during the war and went on to ruin so many lives after the war using the fear of communism.