The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Friday, January 2, 2015

New Year, New Books

       It's a new year, and that means a new year for reading.

     The first book I'll finish in 2015 is Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken. If you've caught any of the numerous interviews of the author, you'd know that while she was working on this book, she dealt with a debilitating disease which prevented her from being able to leave the house for months at a time. Dragging herself to her computer took all of her energy. (It makes me reluctant to whine about my writing obstacles.) And yet she still pushed herself.

         She wrote Unbroken without ever meeting Louie Zamperini in person. Instead, they spoke for hundreds of hours over the phone. After the book was finished, the two finally met. Hillenbrand said not meeting him was an advantage. As she wrote his story, she didn't have an old man in her mind. She had a hellion-of-a-boy in her mind as she wrote about his childhood, she had a handsome young man when she was working on his college days, and so on...

     I'm only 1/4 through it (100 pages or so), but am thoroughly enjoying it. However, since I am trying to finish procrastinate when it comes to doing my report cards, I can't spend too much time reading.

      What is the first book you are going to finish/read in 2015? Procrastinating minds want to know... 

20 comments:

  1. I read Unbroken and thought it was wonderful! Right now I'm reading The ThirteenthTale by Diane Setterfield for a Virtual Book Club that I joined. I'm also reading The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (my January nonfiction book for my goal of reading one nonfiction book per month).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Read Leonard Pitts Jr.s' "Freeman." It's spectacular. One of the best I've read in decades...

      Delete
  2. I saw her interview. she is amazing! I am reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I am also procrastinating on report cards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linda--Well, it's almost midnight on Saturday and I am STILL procrastinating...

      Delete
  3. My book club read Unbroken and all liked it. The suffering was almost too much for me and the cruelty of a human to another always baffles me. Hubby read and wants to see movie which I hear is good too...not sure I want to see the suffering. Right now I am finishing Anita Diamant's The Boston Girl...I'm lukewarm about it...sure not the stunner that The Red Tent was. Next is Bullies, Bastards and Bitches and finishing The Girls of Atomic City for Feb. book club.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Claudia--Yes, I'm reluctant to read anything else by Diamant---I'm afraid it won't measure up to "The Red Tent."

      Delete
  4. I'm reading Unbroken now, too, and also about 100 pages in. It's a compelling read. Laura Hillenbrand is an excellent writer. She also wrote Seabiscuit and I loved that one.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

    P.S. I see you've been tapped for Thanks to My Mom. I'm still in the running, too. Congrats, and keeping fingers crossed neither of us gets a last minute pre-publication cut.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat--I LOVE the movie (Seabiscuit) but did not read the book. I should go back and do that.

      Congratulations to you. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the both of us--with both of us crossing our fingers and our eyes and our toes, we're sure to stay in...

      Delete
  5. The first I'll finish will probably be volume 1 of The Lion Tree. So far, it's excellent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MZ--I have not heard of "The Lion Tree." I'll have to check it out.

      Delete
  6. Starting on Yes Please, the Amy Poehler memoir. Gotta be a laugh or two in there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Val--Since it's Poehler, I'm sure it will be funny. Let me know. (Can we expect a book review from you?)

      Delete
  7. Well, I just finished Kristen Lamb's "Rise of the Machines: Human Authors in a Digital World," and I'm halfway through her other book, "The Writer's Guide to Social Media," so I'll finish that one next. After that I have a couple of books about writing mysteries that my critique partner gave me for my birthday, so those will follow. For straight pleasure reading, I'm not sure. I have a box of books I got for free at the RWA conference and will make my way through those (thrillers, mysteries, historicals, contemporary---all romance, of course). "Unbroken" is on my list --- my hubby read that long before it became well-known, and I'll get to it this year. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lisa--You read some heavy stuff. I bow down to you. Other than the education type books I read, I try to spend the rest of my reading time on novels and memoirs--fun stuff.

      Delete
  8. I'm off to pick up two middle grade books from the library--I LOVE my library SO much, I'd marry it--ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY and THE NIGHT GARDENER. And in the mail, FICTION MAGIC CARDS by Deb Lund that I'll play around with this very weekend. (And it's rainy and cold and my football team's out of the playoffs, so wheeee! PERFECT reading conditions!) :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy--Fiction Magic Cards? I'm definitely intrigued.

      Delete
  9. Now that the holidays are over I'm slowly getting back to finishing two books I've renewed a couple times from the library: Warburg in Rome by James Carroll and Let Me Be Frank With You by Richard Ford.
    And I too saw the interview with Laura Hillenbrand and thought her personal story as well as Louis Zamperini's were compelling. Hope to read the book soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna--I've not heard of Carroll's book or Ford's. I'd love to see a review of them if you choose to write one for either one (or both).

      Check out "Unbroken." I think you would enjoy it.

      Delete
  10. Interesting information about Laura Hillenbrand. Now that life is getting back to normal, I'm getting ready to start What Have We Here by Susan Bono.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tammy--I haven't heard of that book. Let me know if it's good.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by...