Reading Report October 2014

What I read in October 2014

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Historical Fiction 

A British spy plane crashes in Nazi occupied France. The two passengers on board are captured. Verity is asked to reveal her secrets, and the secrets of her country. To save her life, each day, imprisoned with the enemy, she writes a story. 

Well written, fun idea told through letters and flashbacks. I had a lot of folks tell me how good this one was so I was a tad disappointed that it didnt hold my interest as much as I was hoping (though more my fault than the books probably). It is rated highly on book sites though so if you like the genre chances are you'll like this one more than me.

Life In Motion An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland

Non fiction, memoir 

Misty Copeland is the only African American soloist to dance with the American Ballet Company. But to get there was no easy feat. 

Picked this one up for book club and then sadly wasn't even able to go that month so I didnt get to hear others thoughts or discuss it. I had a hard time with this one because other than being in the ABC it seems like the book was filled with, 'life was hard, then it got harder' or 'nothing I did was appreciated'. Misty sounds like she overcame a lot and has worked hard to get where she was, but it maybe could have been told better (different things added or taken out?).   It felt like I had to muddle through just to finish. 

Starbird Murphy and the World Outside by Karen FinneyFrock

Young Adult

Starbird lives on Free Family Farm where everyone chips in and everything they have is everyone's to use. When Starbird leaves to be a waitress at the Family's diner she realizes there is an entirely different world outside the farm. And she might not want to ever go back.

Picked this up off the shelf at the library. It was both exactly what I expected (from the blurb) and also kinda surprising. Interesting, a little frilly, and a tad weird. 

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

Fiction, Historical fiction, 

A recent empty nester, Sookie discovers something about her past that shakes her to the core. Her entire identity crumbles and she secretly tries to put the pieces together before anyone can find out.

This is my first Fannie Flagg book (though I loved the movie Fried Green Tomatoes). Told in a current time period with stories from the past (war era) the story is unraveled and woven to create a history Sookie never knew. Read this one for book club and enjoyed it ok. I do want to read another Fannie Flagg.