Because of Covid and being trapped at home so much, everyone I know is reading a lot more. My list of books read this year is already very long, so I thought I would put in some recommendations, based on my reading since January.
***= highly recommended
***All Blood Runs Red: The
Legendary Life of Eugene Bullard—Boxer, Pilot, Soldier, Spy by Phil Keith
with Tom Clavin
Amazing saga of a black man from
Columbus, Georgia who runs away from home as a child, so he can go to France,
where he has heard there is no prejudice.
His amazing journey and exploits through two world wars make
spellbinding reading. This is an
astounding true story.
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, by Fredrik
Backman
Touching story of grandfather,
son, and grandson, as the grandfather realizes that he is losing his memories
and preparing to die. It was the
author’s personal thoughts that he didn’t expect to turn into a novella, but it
is a lovely, warm story of love and loss.
Five Presidents: My
Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford, by
Clint Hill
Fascinating story by Hill, who
was in secret service protecting five presidents. He was the person who jumped onto the car to
protect the Kennedys in Dallas. His
experience there continued to haunt him throughout the rest of his life,
causing him to ultimately turn down the directorship and eventually to
retire. Lots of interesting details
about the eccentricities of the presidents, those that were easy to work with,
like Eisenhower, and those who drove them crazy, like LBJ. Also lots of details of the many trips that
the presidents took, and the amazing work that the secret service had to do to
try to protect the president under most trying situations. A very personal story, though, about the
incredible sacrifices the members of the secret service make.
***The Woman Who Smashed Codes, by Jason Fagone
Fascinating biography of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, who was an
astonishing code breaker during both world wars, and between. Her exploits against rumrunners were well
known, but her wartime work was never acknowledged, due to the need for
secrecy. Because she kept meticulous
records, which were donated to a college, her biographer was able to piece
together the incredible contributions that she and her more famous husband
did. Highly recommended The book jacket says, “A True Story of Love,
Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies.”
The Woman in the Window, by A.J. Finn:
Mystery, sort of thriller. Woman with agoraphobia lives vicariously by
spying on people with the telephoto lens of her camera. She is self medicating with lots of pills and
alcohol, so when she sees what appears to be a murder in the house across the
street, no one believes her, especially since everyone in the house denies that
anything has happened. Lots of interesting twists and turns to the plot, coming
to a climactic ending. Apparently, it is
being made into a movie. It should be
good. Recommended because it ropes you into the suspense, although not great
literature. I stayed up until 1:30 one
night because I just had to finish it.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, by Fredrik Backman
Delightful, though complicated
story about Elsa, a precocious eight-year-old, and her most outrageous and
wonderful grandmother. They have many
adventures and a most rich fantasy life, thanks to the grandmother’s fairy tales,
all of which end up having some truth to them, related to the grandmother’s
life. This is a sort of quest tale, as Elsa is charged with finding and
delivering a series of letters, all of which reveal things about not only her grandmother, but also the receiver of the
letter. Lots of Harry Potter and superhero talk, but it is still a fascinating
story about love and forgiveness that adults will appreciate.
Olive, Again, by Elizabeth Strout:
Follows Olive Kittridge through a second
marriage and into old age. She comes to
some understanding of how her actions contributed to difficulties in her
relationships. Still the feisty person
she has always been. I liked it, not as
much as the original, but it was good.
***One Summer, by Bill Bryson
Fascinating exploration of events
in the summer of 1927, as well as the history around them. From Charles Lindbergh’s famous flight, to
Sacco and Vanzetti, to Babe Ruth, to Prohibition, as well as many other
things—all told with Bryson’s wonderful style and wit. Highly recommended! Amazing amount of
research went into this book. The
bibliography is extensive. Thanks to Richard, who recommended the book and let me borrow his copy.
***The Buddha in the Attic, by Julie Otsuka
Carefully researched stories of
mail-order brides from Japan in the early 1900’s. Their lives and fates, told in fascinating
detail. There isn’t just one heroine. This is the story of thousands of women and
how their lives turned out after they arrived here in America. A must-read.
***The Tiger’s Wife: A Novel,
by Tea Obreht
It is so hard to describe this
book. It has fascinating descriptions of
life in the Balkans over the lifetime of the doctor grandfather, who is the
major character. Also, there is the
tiger, who escapes from a zoo during a bombing and ends up living near the
childhood home of the grandfather, and the granddaughter who seeks to find and
understand the secrets of the grandfather’s life. The book has many magical
realism aspects, including a “deathless man.”
A wonderful read, well worth the effort of keeping track of the people’s
names, which are so different for speakers of English.
The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides
Psychological
thriller: Psychiatrist who has his own
problems takes on a most difficult case, a woman who will not speak after
killing her husband. Many twists and
turns make this interesting. I read this
in just two days because I couldn’t put it down.
