Unbroken

No Nate today--sorry! Today I am going to tell you about one of the most amazing books I ever read. I just finished it yesterday and cannot stop thinking about it and talking about it (my dear husband has heard much about this book!). It's called "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand, the author of "Seabiscuit" (which I have not read, although did enjoy the movie). It's the story of Louie Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who became a B-24 bombardier during WWII. It is an incredible true story of survival in the most difficult circumstances you could imagine. The author spent seven years researching this unbelievable story. If I had had the time I probably would have read the book in one sitting, however with a child and husband to care for I had to stretch the 400+ pages over four days. And now that I'm done I can't stop thinking about it. It's that kind of a book. I realize I really haven't told you much about the book and I'm not going to--you must read it for yourself and take my word (and that of the NYTimes--it's #1 on their best sellers list) that it's worth your time. Once you get started you won't be able to put it down.

The full title of the book is "Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption". I have always found survival stories intriguing and would like to share some of the amazing ones I have a read, in case you, too, are interested.

"Stolen Lives" by Malika Oufkir (another unforgettable read)
"Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing
"In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex" by Nathaniel Philbreck
"Five Against the Sea" by Ron Arias

There seems to be a theme of survival at sea, huh? Well, except for Stolen Lives. As a kid I also enjoyed survival stories. Some of my favorites...
"Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
"Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell
"My Side of the Mountain" by..hmm, can't remember
The story of the Donner Party--can't remember the title

Have any of you read Unbroken? What did you think of it?
Oh, and one more thing, you'll want to have a tissue box by your side as you read this.

While I'm blabbing about books let me just name a few more that I have enjoyed the last few months in case you are looking for some good reads (I always am!)...
"The Help" by Kathryn Stocket
"American Wife" by Curtis Sittenfeld
"I'd Know You Anywhere" by Laura Lipmann
Hoda Kotb's autobiography (a super quick read)

Do you have any suggestions? Let me know!

Next time we'll be back to Nate!