Quick Lit: December 2015
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
I had a difficult time reading this book in the printed form. My sister suggested listening to the audiobook and I fell in love with the characters and really enjoyed the story. (Sisters are the best!). It’s a sweet, romantic tale, full of bits of dry humor. Very Austen-esque.
Beyond Belief by Jenna Miscavige Hill
Interesting look behind the scenes of the Church of Scientology. I knew very little about the church before reading this book so I have very little to compare the claims with. Jenna’s story was both fascinating and disturbing at the same time.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Delightfully creepy and twisty. I debated a couple of times about whether I should continue reading because the book seemed to be taking a ghost story turn, but I’m really glad I continued on. Despite a few hard-to-read moments, (I’m rather sensitive to scary images) I really enjoyed this story. As any good mystery does, it contains a surprise around every corner and just enough creepiness to make it a perfect Halloween book for sensitive souls like me.
An Elephant in the Garden by MIchael Morpugo
I read this aloud to my 11 year old daughter and we both loved it. It’s based on the true story of an elephant keeper in the Dresden, Germany Zoo during the raids there in World War II. I loved that this story was told from the perspective of a run-of-the-mill German family during that brutal time in history. It provides insight into the trials they faced as well as the disapproval they felt toward their government and the horrors that were being committed around them. Simply and beautifully written, and a lovely introduction to the difficult topics of war and racism. Morpugo is also the author of War Horse, which is an excellent and gentle introduction to the first World War.