Fall Book Review

Right now I would love to be curled up by my fire, but we don't have a fireplace here in our apartment. Oh well, I will have to trade the fire for my nice lovely wool blanket.  I am always amazed at how fast the week flies by!  This weekend we are heading to our city Christmas market.  I really hope they have Potato Pancakes also known as Reibekuchen. They are traditionally served here with applesauce, but I like mine without. If not, I am sure we will be able to get some when we go to Nuremberg next week. On Saturday the kids have a turnin performance and party which reminds me I need to bake something. What is turnin?  Originally, I thought it was gymnastics when I signed the kids up for the glass, but really it is a combination of gymnastic tumbling mixed with some other sports. Essentially, I think it is a way for the local kids to blow off some energy.  I love it because the kids come home completely exhausted. Afterwards, we are going to a children's Christmas party at our church.

As I was compiling my list of books I read this fall, I noticed a trend taking place in that all of my books are either true stories or based on true stories.  Since Lilac Girls is fresh on my mind, we will start with this book.  I loved this book, but I love books based on WWII.  Kind of morbid I guess, but I love reading about how people survived such tragic circumstances.  Lilac Girls based on the true story of New York socialite Caroline Ferriday and the woman who survived Ravensbruck concentration camp. Ravensbruck is famous for the experiments it performed on those who lived there. The story stays pretty true to the real facts, but the author takes liberties when contriving up conversations and some of the events.  Days after I finished the book, I am still thinking about it. Especially with one question and that is while yes clearly all those who suffered in these camps were victims would not some of those who had to work in these camps be considered victims too.  I know this question is kind of controversial, as the woman doctor in the store was truly guilty of her crimes. After being captured, she showed no remorse for anything she did at the camp, but what about the others.  In the story one doctor can't deal with what he is being asked to do, so he ask for a transfer, but this was not a possibility for all those who worked in the camps. Do you refuse to do your work and face death or do you go with the flow in order to preserve yourself.  As a single person the answer would be pretty clear for me that I would rather face death, but now as a mother of 6 children I am not so sure, but then how do you live with yourself?  How does Caroline fit into the story?  After the war Caroline went to France in search of an old friend who had been taken as a political prisoner.  Her and her mother come to the knowledge that while there were plenty of resources for men who fought in the war there was nothing to help the woman who had been either held as political prisoners or had been in the concentration camps.  They later learn of a group of polish woman who had been tortured and had experiments performed on them leaving many practically crippled.  They make it their mission to bring these woman over to America where they could receive medical attention for their injuries.  This side story is pretty incredible in and of itself as Poland after the war was under communist rule and I can't imagine it was easy to get permission for these woman to leave Poland, but Caroline somehow manages to it.

The next book I read was titled The Magnolia Story which is the biography of Joanne and Chip Gaines famous for their HPTV show Fixer Upper.  Given all the hype on this book, I have to say that I am a little disappointment, It was to simple of a book and while I find it cool that they have found so much success in their home flipping business there just isn't enough of a story.  In the book she recounts a story of her husband not paying fines for their dogs running wild through the city and being put in jail for a night and how upset she was because if it had been up to her she would have paid the fines right away.  She also talks about being tight on money, but never did the two not have money to eat or take care of their family.  I guess those who love the show loved the book as they wanted to know more of the back story on these too, but I wish I had invested my time into reading another book more worthy of that time.  I will say one good thing about the book is that she does spell out multiple times how if she had planned out her life instead of allowing God to direct where her life should go it would not have been so grand.  I like this because I have found it to be true in my life too.  God has given me a way more amazing life than I could have ever dreamed up myself.  

The last book I am going to write about today is called Lone Survivor.  Not my typical genre as I am not really a war military book kind of reader.  When I say I like WWII books it is more in the concentration camp victim type of story, but not military advancement kind of stories.  I read this book for my husband.  He loved it and wanted to share it with me, so that we could talk about it.  I have to say I liked it much better than I thought I would.  The story is based on the true story of a military seal.  Some criticize the book because they feel he toots his own horn, but I really didn't find that the case. If anything to criticize I would say he spent maybe 5 pages to long on explaining all that went into becoming a seal which to be honest I had no idea and certainly gives one a new appreciation for these men who serve us overseas.  Obviously, we know he survived his battle as he is here to tell is story, but I don't want to go into too much detail for it will ruin the story.  Let's just say it is one of heartbreak and a miracle at the same time.  Well worth the time reading.  Watched the movie and it doesn't do the book justice.  They changed so many of the details around and it made me sad because the best parts were lost.  Well, I hope you have a good weekend.  Do you have anything fun planned?  Have you read any good book lately?  Let me know!  My shelf is empty and I need a few books to get me through the winter.