It’s September Book review time!!
I’ve go to say first, I am so happy with myself for sticking to this book review thing, knowing that I would be writing a review up for the blog at the end of every month has definitely pushed me to stick to it!
This month I read some Reallly good ones!!! A couple of them could possibly be some of my favorites of the year!
When I was in school I had a really hard time with History Class. It was always just in one ear and out the other. The holocaust unit though….that got me every time.
Today I am starting to appreciate history even more. To really learn about where we all stemmed from. The things that our forefathers endured to get us to where we are today.
I’m learning that I really am loving historical fiction books. They are stories, so they hold my attention a lot better then the history text books did back in school. But they are still teaching me so much about the times of the past.
I am so drawn to all of the characters in these books. Almost feeling like I know them personally.
The most recent historical fiction book I read, and my first book of September is called “We were the lucky ones” by Georgia Hunter.
Although this book is considered fiction, it is based off of a real family. Real stories told by real people who survived WW2 and the holocaust.
“We were the lucky ones” follows a Jewish family, as little by little they are beaten down and taken over by Hitler and his army.
It follows each individual member of the family as they do everything they can to survive the war. Taking you with them as they get kicked out of their homes, beaten, starved, and stripped of any privacy they once knew.
They take you through the concentration camps and all they did to survive while many camps were being “liquidated”. While they were being forced to work 10-12 hour days doing crippling work with no food. Hiding their children, desperately trying to keep them safe and somewhat innocent as they witnessed things that no child should ever have to witness.
This was a heavy read for sure. Knowing that millions of real people were killed for absolutely no reason other then their religious backgrounds, where they were born, and their heritage. It’s so gut-wrenching to think about what they went through.
But this book also showed you how much these people continued to have hope. They continued to wake up in the mornings and love each other and to keep looking forward. Having faith that the war would soon end. That they would be reunited with each other again. Wishing and hoping every day that they would make it out alive.
It was a little tough for me to get into at first. There are a lot of characters and many names in the story are a little tricky to pronounce.
There were also many different languages being quoted here and there which was a little tricky for me, but all in all I think this book was amazingly written.
This story of love and war will stick with me forever.
The next book I picked up was “Summer of 69” by Elin Hilderbrand. I’ve had this book on hold at the library all summer and they finally came through for me this month!
I had heard amazing things about this book, and I’ll tell you what, It did not disappoint.
First of all, I just couldn’t help being drawn to the title. If I close my eyes I can hear my mom and dad jamming out to Brian Adams in our Kitchen on a hot summer evening.
My parents were both 11 years old in 1969. I’ve heard so many stories about that year and the years following.
For so long I felt like I would never have survived in those times. When T.V was practically forbidden, especially in the summer. Where everyone knew everyone. Hitchhiking was a normal thing. I never felt like I was a bell bottoms and flower headband kind of girl.
But I don’t know, after reading this book I totally think I would have loved that era.
“Summer of 69” follows a family as they experience the last summer of that decade on Nantucket Island at their family home.
The book follows A mother whos son was just sent off to war. and her three daughters who kind of take a back seat in her mind because of this.
When every day she waits for that telegram. When every knock at the door makes her cringe.
One of her daughters is pregnant and starting her own journey as a new wife and mother.
One daughter is young and care free. A true free spirit. Ready to see big changes in their world.
And the third daughter is coming of age during this summer. She turns 13 at the start of the summer and doesn’t fully understand all of the things going on around her.
The war.
The Chappaquiddick incident involving Ted Kennedy.
The moon landing.
The rallies and protests and marches.
It started as a summer she thought she would dread and ended as a summer she will never forget.
This book gave me all the feels and was another great story that will stick with me forever. I loved it so much!
My third book was actually one I started a few weeks back but couldn’t quite get into it right away. I think my mind was just all over the place. I put it to the side and decided to give it another shot this month.
“Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer is a novel about a young 20 something, who came from a wealthy family. Had an amazing education and was one of the smartest in his class.
But one day he just decided he wanted to live off the grid. He wanted to travel the world with nothing but the shirt on his back.
Three months after he landed in Alaska his body was found.
The author of the book try’s to retrace this young mans steps and interviews all of the friends he made along his journey. Trying desperately to understand how he managed to basically starve to death with all of the resources that he was aware of.
To me, it was just a really cool book because it really took you inside of the world of many different adventurers who wanted to survive the elements and live off the grid.
It definitely has be wanting to visit Alaska one day. During their “warmer” season and definitely not alone.
My fourth book was “The Unhoneymooners” by Christina Lauren.
This one was a fun one. It was definitely a super easy read. A romantic comedy I guess you could call it.
It was about twin sisters. One sister seemed to have all the luck in the world while the other deemed herself extremely unlucky!
The book starts off with the “lucky” sister getting married. She basically won contest after contest to make this wedding day happen. Free cake, Free dress, Free food, Free booze. It was a dream wedding and she barely paid a dime. The wedding was going off without a hitch until everyone at the wedding became violently ill. Food poisoning?
Everyone at the wedding, that is, except for two people who both hate each other.
The bride offers up her honeymoon to the two sole survivors. And the story takes you with them on their adventure.
It was sill. It was unrealistic. It was cute. And even a little steamy..
Super fun light read that I would definitely recommend.
My fifth and final book for the month was “You’ve been Volunteered”. This one was on Shay’s recommendations for Fall Reading and it just seemed like it would be a fun little read to end out the month.
You’ve been volunteered is a funny “Homeroom Mom” inspired book that takes you through the day to day life of the mom who “does it all”.
This book was so silly and witty. And honestly speaks to so many moms out there.
The story is written in a series of emails that said homeroom mom sends out daily, about fundraisers, volunteer opportunities, Christmas parties, etc. Her emails are always very sarcastic but also so honest.
It also jumps into her life,the things she’s going through and the thoughts she’s having as she try’s to maintain her home, her marriage, her relationships with her children, her homeroom mom status, bills, friendships, and picking up the abandoned shifts of the other parents who volunteered but then got “sick”, “forgot” or had something “come up”. All while keeping her fun personality and making light of every not so perfect situation she’s handed.
I thought this was such a fun and different book to read. It was definitely a great way to end the month.
I didn’t quite make it to my goal of six but I got pretty dang close!
How are you guys making out on your reading goals for the month?!
I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading. What did you love. Any that you hated? Recommendations to finish off the year?!
