Worthy Read: Unbroken

Laura Hillenbrand is a literary master at writing non-fiction. She has a niche for taking a true story and making it read like fiction. The only downfall is I wish she could pump out books one right after another just as many fiction authors do. Laura obviously puts a staggering amount of time and effort into her research, then fuses her knowledge of her subject with her storytelling skills, resulting in captivating books that keep you engrossed.

I read Laura's first book, Seabiscuit, published in 2001, shortly after seeing the movie in 2003. I am a lover of all things equine, which was the main factor that influenced me to pick up the book in the first place. The story of the legendary racehorse and the people whose lives were committed to the horse's journey to success, was impeccably told. 

Laura Hillenbrand

When I recently found out that Laura was publishing her second book, Unbroken, I was extremely excited! It was worth the wait. Although the subject matter of Unbroken is dramatically different than that of Seabiscuit, one thing remains the same. Just as Seabiscuit had been impossible to put down, I found myself devouring Unbroken. I was captivated once again by Laura's ability to write narrative history. 

Unbroken, A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, is so much more than a book about WWII. It is the heart-wrenching, inspiring story of a man, Louis Zamperini. Louie's life experiences are an astounding example of what a human being is capable of enduring and achieving against all odds. 

In Unbroken, we learn about Louie's character and personality beginning with his childhood. As he grows into adulthood, Louis transitions from a trouble-maker into a young man with goals. He develops an interest in track and his ambition drives him to the point of becoming a U.S. Olympian. 

Louis Zamperini training for the Olympics, 1940

Unable to continue to pursue his passion for running, duty calls. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Louie finds himself trading in his track-suit for an Air-force uniform. In 1943, the B-24, The Green Hornet, crashes into the Pacific Ocean along with it's crew, including bombardier Louis Zamperini. This catastrophe is the beginning of a chain of events that will test Louie's will to live, and test his dignity beyond what any human should have to endure. 

Louis Zamperini,

You do not have to be a sports fan of track & field, or a WWII buff to read this book. You simply have to appreciate an amazing story portrayed with ease by a talented author.

Worthy Read: Blood, Bones & Butter

Not only am I a relentless bookworm, but I also have a fervor for cooking. When I stumbled across this biography of a chef, I couldn't resist a combination of two passions! The memoir, Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertant Education of a Reluctant Chef is written by acclaimed New York chef, Gabrielle Hamilton. She is the owner and chef at her New York City restaurant, Prune. She has been considered among the top 17 chefs in The Big Apple. In her book, Gabrielle tells the story of her life and the culmination of events that ultimately lead up to her career of choice.

She describes her memories of going to the butcher with her father when she was a child, "The paraphernalia of butchery may be repulsive to some. But to me, hacksaws, cleavers, and band saws all looked manageable and appealing. I loved going to Maresca's, the Italian butcher shop." "The refrigerated enamel cases were packed with meat, ground meat, tied meat, and birds, whole and in parts." "I caught a good eyeful of carcasses hanging upside down with their tongues flopping out the sides of their bloody mouths....I wanted to be in with the meat and the knives and wear the long bloody coat."

Also in her youth, she recalls her father's yearly tradition of roasting multiple lambs over a pit. The evening prior to the lamb roast, she and her four siblings would sleep around the fire, huddled together in sleeping bags. It was her oldest brother's responsibility to tend the fire through the night and nurse it into a bed of coals. "The lambs were arranged over the coals head to toe head to toe....roasted so slowly and patiently that their blood dripped down into the coals with a hypnotic and rhythmic hiss."

Gabrielle also acknowledges that her mother influenced her cooking. "My mother fed a family of seven on tails and carcasses and marrow bones." In the kitchen, her mother was a frugal yet resourceful chef. She often roasted bones and served them so the marrow could be eaten. Gabrielle has implemented this sentimental dish into her Prune menu.

Gabrielle is married to an Italian Dr. The relationship could be described as a marriage of convenience, or even unorthodox. There is no love between the couple. Nonetheless, on account of the union, Gabrielle has traveled multiple times to Itlay, where her culinary talents have also been deeply influenced. She vividly describes a trip to the Italian market, "In the square, I found my ideal kind of man. Missing most of his teeth, with his zipper gaping open....guys like this are getting hard to come by anymore, even here in this little Italian town. He pulled back the burlap that covered the wagon of his three-wheeled motor cart and showed me, with shaking arthritic hands, his fresh black-eyed peas in the shell, his dark purple green beans, his zucchini flowers. He had a little crate of imperfect prune plums...I know that when he dies, he's the last, and this.... all goes when he goes."

These are just a few examples of occurrences in Gabrielle's life that have contributed to the person, the chef she has been molded into. I certainly identify with her passion for food and preparing it into delightful dishes to please the palate. I appreciate her description, "food that meets your hunger sends you into a calmed and expansive state of deep satisfaction."

I have also learned from this book, that apparently there are "categories" into which food enthusiasts fit into. After meeting a colleague within the food industry, Gabrielle "noticed that he spoke about the food the way that only someone who works with food could. There is a way, a distinct way that people who work in the industry speak to each other about food and you can tell, within minutes, that they are part of your extended clan. It's not like an obvious foodie talks about food, ostentatiously throwing around kitchen terms and names of ingredients they have researched at length. It's not like an appreciative eater talks about food... awed and enamored and perfectly happy to speak of his enjoyment without having any idea of what he's just eaten or how it was achieved. It's the way only someone who works in the industry talks about food..." I continue to ponder just where do I fit into this order of culinary individuals?

In a nutshell (pun intended), it's a good book. If you love to cook, or just love food.... I recommend Blood, Bones & Butter.

If I ever make it to New York City, visiting the quaint 30-seat restaurant, Prune, will be on my to-do list!

 Check out Gabrielle's website for her renowned restaraunt, Prune.

Worthy Read: A Discovery of Witches

Recently sifting through book lists on-line, I kept running across this title: A Discovery of Witches. It has been acclaimed by Barnes & Noble as one of 2011's best reads. It is one of the top rated books at bookmovement.com. I couldn't resist finding out for myself what all the hype is about, and I'm a sucker for a good fantasy novel!

A Discovery of Witches is actually the result of the author asking herself the question, “if there really are vampires, what do they do for a living?” Deborah Harkness has been a student and scholar of history for 28 years. During that time she studied the history of magic and science in Europe. She is currently a professor at the University of Southern California where she teaches European history. Deborah is obviously one smart cookie! The novel's abundance of history and numerous references to world literature is blatant proof of her wealth of knowledge. She deftly weaves intricate layers of plot, and manages to easily introduce new characters, each as credible and intriguing as the last.

The main characters are the epitome of what I appreciate in a good fantasy read. Diana Bishop is a witch who chose to turn away from her heritage and live a simple "human" life as a scholar. However, events outside of her control force her to come to terms with who she really is. She meets the provocative, gorgeous Matthew Clairmont, who is a geneticist, yogi, and of course, a vampire. Because of Diana's passion for history, she can't help but appreciate the fact that Matthew's 1500 years has exposed him firsthand to many historical events and individuals that she has researched.

A Discovery of Witches is a successful fusion of fantasy, history, romance, and suspense. It takes you on a journey traveling the world to romantic destinations such as Oxford, England, and Auvergne, a mountainous region in France. Delving into the book is like drinking a fine cocktail comprised of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight saga muddled with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, and topped off with a splash of maturity for the grown-up reader. On account of the ample history and inclusion of time-travel, I find myself comparing it to another of my favorites, Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

This book is a MUST READ for any avid fantasy enthusiast, as well as the open minded bookworm who simply appreciates a noteworthy read. The great news is that A Discovery of Witches is the first of the All Souls Trilogy, and the second installment, Shadow of Night, is due to release in July of 2012. I know what I will be reading this summer!

Worthy Read: If It Was Easy, They'd Call The Whole Damn Thing A Honeymoon

I was patiently sitting in the waiting room at my car dealership, waiting for my Audi to get washed, when a daytime television show caught my attention. Jenna McCarthy was being interviewed about her newly released book, If It Was Easy, They'd Call The Whole Damn Thing A Honeymoon. With a title like that, how could I not find my interest peaked? I shuffled through my purse for a scrap of paper and a writing utensil, and jotted down the title and author's name, thinking that maybe, just maybe, I'll check it out.

A few weeks later, I found myself going outside of my reading comfort zone and poking my nose into this self-help book. Since it pertains to marriage, and I just so happen to be married, I thought, "why not?" I must stress the fact that I do not consider myself in dire need of guidance on the subject of marriage, in fact I think I'm pretty fortunate in the marriage department. However, all of us wives have those moments where we would like to hit our significant other over the head with a frying pan! So, I digress.

I expected the book to have me sit down with a pen and paper and write down a pro and con list. Or keep a journal of my feelings and emotions. Or use any of the other orthodox methods self-help books use (whatever they are, I haven't read many self-help books). I was in for a surprise, because this book did not use the techniques I had anticipated. In a nutshell, I would describe it as a collection of  humorous revelations from the author regarding the quirks of her husband, as well as quotes from other wives about their husband's vices. The purpose being: to help you realize how good you really have it! 

Jenna takes a very witty, comical approach, and I doubt you could read this book cover to cover without laughing out loud at least once. If you can't stomach profanity, I wouldn't recommend this book. Jenna definitely has a potty mouth, but if you can get past that, you may find yourself appreciating your husband more, after comparing him to the fine subjects whose bad habits are blatantly revealed in this book. Overall, I think it's worth the occasional chuckle, and the fact you may find yourself thinking, "I haven't got it bad as I thought!"

Worthy Read: Snow Flower And The Secret Fan

When I first saw the preview for the movie, Snow Flower And The Secret Fan, and realized it was based on a Lisa See novel, I rushed to get my hands on the book! I previously read Peony In Love, also by Lisa See, which accompanied me on my trip to Puerto Rico. I had enjoyed Peony In Love, so I found myself anxious to Read Snow Flower And The Secret Fan before watching to movie. I must admit, I was by no means disappointed! In fact, I enjoyed it much more than the previous Lisa See novel I had read!

Snow Flower And The Secret Fan delves into the Chinese culture of the nineteenth century, where women were viewed as unimportant and good only for providing sons. Traditions surrounding women included foot binding, arranged marriages, and concubines. However, the book focuses on two unique female traditions practiced in Hunan (a province of South-central China), laotongs, and nu shu.

Laotongs could perhaps be understood, in our terms, as "kindred spirits". The Chinese translation of laotong is "old same". It is a relationship which bonds two young girls together for life. The characters in Lisa See's novel, Snow Flower and Lily, were bonded at the tender age of seven. Other relationships between women in China were common, such as sisterhoods. Laotong relationships, however, were rare and formal, the two girls often chosen carefully by a matchmaker. Such things as the girls' astrological signs, their foot size, and the prosperity (or lack thereof) of their natal families, were taken into consideration. Laotong relationships were made formal by the actual signing of a contract. These special bonds were put in place to help them cope with the hardships of their lives.

Nu shu, which means "woman's writing" in Chinese, was a form of writing developed specifically for women. It used about 600-700 syllabic characters (each character representing a syllable). Since in ancient China the culture was male-centered, and forbid girls from formal education, nu shu was derived out of secrecy in order for women to share their deepest feelings, emotions, experiences, and secrets. Snow Flower and Lily shared their nu shu on a fan, which they discreetly sent back and forth between them.

Snow Flower And The Secret Fan is a window into the often horrifying, yet intriguing ancient Chinese culture. It is also a heartfelt tale of the lives of two Chinese women, bonded as laotongs in their youth. I highly recommend the book for both the educational aspect of it, as well as the story that will draw you in from page one.

Old laotongs.

Nu shu writing.

Bound feet. Fortunately, this tradition died out in the early twentieth century. It usually resulted in lifelong disabilities and occasionally death. For more information on Chinese foot binding, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_binding

Snow Flower And The Secret Fan movie trailer.

Worthy Read: The Thirteenth Tale

#1 NY Times best-selling novel by Diane Setterfield, recommended by the WSP Reader's Club.

Family secrets. Dark, haunting secrets. That's what you will discover within this novel: A famous English author, Vida Winter, has weaved many colorful stories for her fans, but she has never shared her true life story with anyone... until now. Out of the blue, an unsuspecting biographer named Margaret Lea, receives a letter from Vida, inviting her to be the first and only to pen Vida's story. And what a bewitching story it is...

This book is a page turner, no doubt about it! As Vida's story unfolds, you find yourself captivated, just as Margaret is while she records Vida's life events. I would compare the plot and writing style to The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. If you have not read the Forgotten Garden, then I've just recommended two books for your reading list instead of one!!!!

I find myself relating to Margaret's character, and her passion towards books:

"There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic."

I imagine my grandfather Irvin feeling this way towards the words contained in the endless books that lined the many shelves of his home library. The eccentric, quiet man from my childhood that I so wish I could have had the opportunity to know better. Books were his world. I believe I have much of my grandfather within me.