Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Book Review

One of the best things about not having to drive to work anymore is the fact that I now have extra time during the day to read. I've actually read some pretty good books lately during my daily commute and thought I'd share some of my recommendations with all of you.

Before I do so, I must give you a bit of a disclaimer -- I really dislike chick lit. Seriously, I'd rather stab myself in the eye than read anything by Nicholas Sparks. It's just not my style, not that I judge any of you Nicholas Sparks fans out there. For those of you who know me this comes as no surprise since there isn't a romantic bone in my body -- all of that mushy crap just makes me uncomfortable and fills me with a need to incessantly mock any attempts at it. My poor boyfriend I know. Therefore, keep that in mind when I mention my book selections.

Also, these are my recent reads and they are listed in the order in which I read them not by how much I liked them.

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
I actually read this one in the early fall. If you love WWII history especially the Nazi occupation part and the Holocaust you will really enjoy this book. It is based on a true story about the wife of the Warsaw Zookeeper and how the zookeeper and his wife were able to hide Jews in plain sight in the zoo during the Nazi occupation of Poland. I honestly couldn't put this book down, I found the story fascinating and was filled with admiration for the main character as she and her family put their lives in danger to save the lives of others.

The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw
Another great WWII read. Written in 1998, Tom Brokaw does a great job in telling the stories of a few of the Americans who served in WWII. I thought he did a great job showing how the war affected both average Americans and those who became superstars alike. Also, the layout of the book is very conducive to train reading as it is more of a collection of profiles than a history book. As a side note, if you can't tell, I'm a little into WWII.

Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
I'm sure you are noticing a nonfiction theme here. What can I say, I like nonfiction. Plus I really liked the movie. I still can't believe that both the movie Friday Night Lights and the movie Varsity Blues are based on this book. Again, I thought this book was great, Bissinger really captured the essence of small town high school football mania.

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max
One word - HILARIOUS. I've heard the movie sucks, haven't seen it yet and not sure if I want to (although I do think that Logan from Gilmore Girls is super hot so I may see it anyway). Anyway, I started this one today and thought it was so funny that I was actually laughing out loud on the train (yep I was that girl). I know a lot of people think that Max is an asshole and found the book offensive; however, I find the offensiveness charming and funny. Plus I've totally dated that type of guy which makes it even funnier.

Do you have any good suggestions?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love me some WWII fiction. Have you read The Kommandant's Girl? I couldn't put that down a few months ago. I also read the sequel, I think it was called The Diplomat's Wife? But it was not nearly as well-written or plausible. I'll definitely pick up The Zookeeper's Wife!

And I love Tucker Max's blog. I wonder if his movie is any good?

Katy said...

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell is seriously one of the most amazing books ever. My ex-boyfriend is named Tucker and he got the book autographed for me. It says "To Katy, The best friend for some other Tucker. -Tucker Max." Kind of funny how that is definitely not true anymore.

If you like that you might like this book called "The Alphabet of Manliness" by Maddox. Just as funny and crude.

Unknown said...

Enjoyed your book review post. I love the Greatest Generation, too.

Aunt J.