Ever since a few years ago when I finished university, along with all the required reading & so little time that goes with school, reading for fun has felt like such a luxury! As part of making more time for myself I'm making sure I spend a lot more time digging into great books- these are a few of my favourites so far
City of Thieves is beautifully written and set during the Nazis’ siege of Leningrad. The main characters meet when they're captured for looting & deserting, but instead of being executed they're given a chance to save themselves- if they can gather a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel's daughter's wedding cake. In a city completely cut off from supplies the challenge seems impossible. I loved this book because it was the first time I've read about Russia in a historical fiction, and it was fascinating! The characters that you meet are incredibly interesting and are surviving in such a terrifying time in history. I couldn't stop reading it (which led to a few very late nights!) and it sparked an interest in me for this time in history, for learning more about Russia, and reminded me of how exciting it is to read from the perspective of different cultures.
You would think that the discovery of first human cells that could divide without end, making them immortal and a turning point in modern medicine, would be an incredible victory for medicine. From development of the polio vaccine to in vetro fertilization, “HeLa” cells have led to incredible discoveries- but HeLa cells are named for Henrietta Lacks, the woman they were taken from, without her consent. The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks is about the author's journey to give Henrietta's story a voice by painstakingly gaining her family's trust while navigating the world of medicine, race and ethics from a different time. It's equal parts a tenderly told story about the human side of science and mystery of who Henrietta Lacks really was. It's a little slow in parts, but overall I loved it!
After my first peek into Russian history with City Of Thieves, I wanted to understand more about the end of the tsars in Russia and about the start of WW1. Nicholas and Alexandra is a gorgeously detailed historical work that reads like a novel, and has had me glued to its pages since late February. I'm still working through it – and it's a long read at almost 700 pages – but I've found every moment of it spell binding. From Rasputin's power over the Ttsarina to Alexis's struggle with hemophilia, there is so much mystery to explore. I can't wait to read more every night!
What are you reading?
LAST UPDATED ON: March 12th, 2012
CATEGORY: All Business & Blogging Posts
I just started Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
The Princess Bride.
Hey Kyla, thanks for sharing your reads with us. I have recently read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and I think it’s one of the most amazing untold (until now!) stories, and one of the most important as well! I have to disagree with you that it was slow at times – I was transfixed! The whole thing was full of twists and turns, sadness and elations, setbacks and small triumphs. It was so good to learn about the personal lives of a lady and her family who have done so much for us all, and have received very little in return. The story must be told! Read this book everyone!
At the moment I am reading this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Penny-Red-Notes-New-Dissent/dp/0745332080/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331662573&sr=8-1
Notes from the New Age of Dissent, by Penny Laurie, who is a reporter, writer, blogger, who has written some incredibly important and interesting reports on the real reasons of the London riots last year. I am from the UK, and it is so refreshing to hear the opinions and reports of someone who was actually there, and bothered to find out what it was all about. Her writing is so gripping, and often almost poetic – quite eloquent and beautiful, but very, very real.
OK, book review over! Katie. xxx
I’ve also read City of Thieves and it was a pretty good read, I’m strangely intrigued by the WWI/WWII era, and i’d like to get my hands on a copy of Henrietta Lacks!
I’m waiting on the first book of teh Game of Thrones series, hope it comes soon
Not like I need a bigger “to-read’ list right now, but I can’t help but add these! Historical fiction has caught my eye lately, and this seems pretty much on the same vein, not to mention I read a book on Russian history a little while ago and fell in love with Russia! Thanks for the heads up :D
All three of these books sound fascinating! I’ve added them to my to-read list. Thanks for the recommendations!
I love Russia – my degree is actually in Russian :) I think Russian history is SO interesting and deviates so interestingly from Western European history. I’m totally going to check out that book!
It’s interesting that I come to your blog when you are reading about the Russian Revolution. I’m a history major in college and that is my favorite section of history to study. I love the tales of the Romnovs! I actually just cme back from the library with 2 new books. The Poisoned House by Michel Ford and The Luxe by anna Godbersen. So glad someone else shares the same hobbies that I do.
City of Thieves is SO good! It’s a book I commonly recommend to others. I just finished Violets of March, which was wonderful. Now I am reading Bond Girl, which is kind of mindless chick lit, which I usually avoid, but I couldn’t resist as it’s about a girl who works in my industry (bond market). Next up I am reading The Fault in our Stars as so many have raved about it! And I’ve got a huge stack of other books waiting for me. This whole not buying a book in 2012 has actually been so easy thus far! (I say that now, talk to my in September. ha)
I’ve developed a really dangerous habit of stock piling books I want to read. I have over 20 waiting on my nightstand now! Just started Atonement and I’m really enjoying it.
Oh, I loved City of Thieves. It was so beautiful.
I don’t have much of a brain right now (or much quality reading time) so I’m working my way through the Twilight trilogy for the first time. It’s … taking a while.
Reading on my own is my favorite part of being done with college too. Right now, I’m reading The Lost Girls (a travel memoir), and working my way through Laurie King’s Mary Russell series, which are Sherlock Holmes mysteries with one of the most kickass heroines I’ve read in a while. I also just read the latest Flavia de Luce mystery, my favorite poison-obsessed 11 year old sleuth. This time of year always puts me in the mood for mysteries.
Lurker here! :)
I LOVE the City of Thieves, it’s one of my favorites of all time. I recently read Loving Frank which is a fiction book about Frank Lloyd Wright based on true facts. I really loved it!
Right now I’m reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly close. I listened to much of it on a road trip this weekend and I am enjoying the audio much more than the book!
Reading IS such a luxury, it’s so therapeutic though and I really enjoy carving out time right before bed for reading. I practically NEED it!
If you like Historical Fiction I highly recommend The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen. It takes place during the flu pandemic and WWI and is just absolutely gut wrenching.
This post is perfectly timed because I’m definitely in a bit of a reading funk! I’ve added the two Russian books to my “to-read” list on goodreads – thanks for that!
Right now I’m reading Stolen: A Letter to my Captor by Lucy Christopher (a book for my book club and I just realized we meet in two weeks) – only a little into it but it’s very engaging – so far so good!
I’m almost finished “The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr” by E.T.A Hoffman. It’s brilliant! Really enjoying it. It’s about a cat who is extremely intelligent and talented, who teaches himself to read and write and pens his autobiography. Unfortunately the printer mixes up the papers and splices his work with the biography of a composer. It’s hilarious reading about the Tomcat from his own perspective, I’m pretty sure Hoffman nailed it with the way a cat thinks!
I’m the same with reading, I used to read a LOT and somehow work and study got in the way, but I’m trying to make up for lost time now!
City of Thieves sounds really good!
I just recently finished Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Pride & Prejudice. I liked them so much that I think I’ll have to read them again!
I love Nicholas and Alexandra! That was my favorite book in 6th or 7th grade. Be sure to read The Romanovs: the Final Chapter next.