Mystery/Thriller Quirky Novels YA /Young Adult
Historical Fiction Non-Fiction
Historical Fiction Non-Fiction
Good Reads
and another on my read list for a later date... 
Jonathan Franzen
"Freedom" - At 560 plus pages, I admit I would have put this one down if I wasn't reading it for my book group. The main characters... a family whose flaws surface for all to see, are not likeable but as the reader learns why they are who they are, they become understandable. A meandering read with a lot to say about relationships, personal causes, forgiveness and what we sacrifice for freedom... the book as well as the characters, for me, came together in the end. After all is said and done... we are who we are.
more by Franklin... 
Tom Franklin
"Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" - More than a mystery, Franklin's book is a tale of racism, ostracism, family and the meaning of friendship. Told through the words of 2 characters dealing with both their present and past situations, Franklin's tale emerges slowly with twists and turns until the very end.
The woman behind this wonderful book... 
Kyung-Sook Shin
"Please Look After Mom" - Mom is missing and her life is revealed as family members search and remember their relationship with this woman. Written in simple prose, the dialogue speaks directly to the reader... a great book.
Other reads from Jean... 
Jean Thompson
"The Year We Left Home" - This book isn't for everyone, at times I wondered why I kept reading it... I questioned where the book was going. Finally I decided there is as much said between the chapters of this novel as in the chapters themselves. Without going into great detail, by way of her characters' self analysis of their lives, Thompson creates a portrait of a dysfunctional American family over a 30 year period. A book of family and the ties that bind.
the author... 
Kathryn Stockett
"The Help" - Although racial prejudice in the 60's is the subject of this book, it is still a light read. Easy, yet satisfying... impressive as it is Stockett's first book.
Patchett's latest... 
Ann Patchett
"Bel Canto" - A book I would have passed over after glimpsing the cover... a mix of opera and militants holding hostages did not entice me. Thank goodness for the local librarian who recommended it. A great read! I found myself surfing the airwaves for opera.
"Run" - Not Patchett's best... I listened to it on CD, perhaps it is a better read. A young African American woman gives her two young sons up for adoption. Later in life, as a single woman, she is raising her daughter on her own. The children are reconnected by a twist of fate which changes everyone's life.
Khaled Hosseini
"The Kite Runner" - A story of Afghanistan, the friendship between two boys, forgiveness and living a true life. A wonderful book.
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" - A look into the world of Afghan women... again, Hosseini tears at the heart. Great read...
Irving Stone
"Lust for Life" - A biographical novel of the life of Vincent Van Gogh... one of my favorite painters, one of my favorite books. Historically accurate except for one page, when Stone imagines what one of Vincent's hallucinations was like. It was the only page I didn't like.
"The Agony and the Ecstasy" - Michaelangelo is the subject of Stone's ambitious, historically accurate account of the great sculptor and painter. A truly inspiring read. If you find yourself in Florence make sure you see his sculpture "David". Mind-blowing...
"Depths of Glory" - The painter Pissarro is revealed in this interesting biographical novel. Pissarro, though a passionate artist, doesn't have the angst filled life of either Van Gogh or Michaelangelo... thus the read didn't inflame my sense of creativity as Stone's other work did.
Quirky Novels... Uniquely their own
British comedian and author Mark Watson... 
Mark Watson
"Eleven" Not quite your regular read, yet not quite quirky. A novel about how we are all connected and how the decisions we make affects others in ways we would never imagine. An entertaining easy read.
and his non-fiction... 
Jonathan Safran Foer
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" - A young boy with a high IQ is the center of this Foer novel. Oskar Schell sets out to discover the mystery of a key that belonged to his Dad who was killed at the Twin Towers on 9/11. This book deals with father/son relationships, death and forgiveness... it crosses generations and oceans. Great read... one of a kind.
"Everything is Illuminated" - If you feel confused, keep reading... everything will be illuminated. Great movie, too!
On my reading list... 
Markus Zusak
"The Book Thief" - Death narrates this WWII novel... Zusak creates a personality for Death which enables him to carry out his job. The story of the young girl it follows is both sorrowful and wonderful. A great book for teens and adults.
and another by Martel... 
Yann Martel
"The Life of Pi" - Winner of the Man Booker Prize, the author takes the reader across the ocean on a lifeboat with Pi Patel and a collection of zoo animals that are the only survivors of a ship which sinks while traveling from India to Canada. Clever lines with no wasted words.
Auster's on my to read list... 
Paul Auster
"The Brooklyn Follies" - I listened to this on CD read by the author. The start is a downer... a man diagnosed with cancer returns to his old neighborhood to live out the last of his days... so glad I didn't eject this one as the book takes a twist and becomes positively upbeat. Well written with a great cast of characters.
More Mosley... 
Walter Mosley
"The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey" - 90 year old Ptolemy Grey is healthy in body, but slowly losing his mental acuity. Frightened, frustrated and feeling alone, Ptolemy is given the opportunity to finish up his unfinished business. As he reviews his life and loves, the reader is taken on a journey into his past and a delightful feel-good tale of his last days.
Mystery/Thriller
Gyles Brandreth
Any of the Oscar Wilde series of mysteries... With the wit of Wilde gracing the pages, Brandeth's series of mysteries is endless entertainment. Historical characters as well as historical events form the basis of this marvelous collection.
Waiting for more from Higashino... 
Keigo Higashino
"The Devotion of Suspect X" - I found this book as perfect as the step-by-step cover-up a high school mathematics teacher plots as he stays ahead of the detectives investigating the murder of his neighbor's ex-husband. An intelligent thriller...
A third by French... 
Tana French
"In the Woods" - A psychological thriller that I couldn't stop listening to... Yes, I did the CD version. Enjoyed the reader, loved the book. You do have to get past the crime as a young girl is murdered, but the story line is complex, the characters rich.
"The Likeness" - I was disappointed in French's follow up thriller which I found long, 450 pages, and at times unlikely... how many times can an undercover detective make phone calls while sitting in a tree without someone discovering her. With that I wondered why I liked French's first mystery so much... perhaps it was because I listened to it, a different experience all together.
Stieg Larsson
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"The Girl Who Played with Fire"
"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest"
A trilogy of page-turners... fast-paced with great characters integrated into a complex story line. Lisbeth Salandar is "The Girl...", a tough, tattooed, ninety pound wonder that will wow you.
Asa Larsson
"Sun Storm"
"The Blood Spilt"
"The Black Path"
Rebecka Martinsson, a tax attorney from Stockholm, is in the center of mystery and murder in these three thrillers from Sweden. Though each book stands alone, there are references to Rebecka's previous experiences that shape her psychology... read them in order.
Henning Mankell
"The Man from Beijing" - A cross-cultural thriller running through generations of wrongs remembered. Complex and brilliantly rendered.
Any of the Kurt Wallander mysteries...
Yet another mystery writer from Sweden that I thoroughly enjoy. Read the Kurt Wallander series from the start... "Faceless Killers", "The Dogs of Riga", "The White Lioness" etc..
Historical Fiction
More by Winsor... 
Kathleen Winsor
"Forever Amber" - England's answer to Scarlett O'Hara... Amber is unforgettable as well as unforgivable. Winsor expertly takes the reader through 17th century England. Great read.
Tracy Chevalier
"The Girl with a Pearl Earring" - 17th Century Holland is the setting for this intimate, imagined creation of the artist Vermeer's most famous painting of a girl with a pearl earring. Chevalier's writing is wonderfully detailed.
"Falling Angels" - Edwardian London sets the scene for Chevalier's novel of life through the eyes of the innocent. Historically, sweeping changes are in the air as the suffrage movement begins to boil.
"The Lady and the Unicorn" - Art weaves its way through Chevalier's novel of forbidden love between the classes. Chevalier gives a strong sense of place and time in all of her works.
"Remarkable Creatures" - The place: Lyme Regis, England The time: The 19th century On the beaches of a seaside village fossils are discovered by a poor working-class girl, Mary Anning. The find sets the academic community in a whirl as the idea of extinction is introduced to the world.
YA - Young Adult
Mr. Vizzini himself... 
Ned Vizzini
"It's Kind of a Funny Story" - Craig's cracking under his own pressure to excel. Depressed and suicidal, Craig wisely checks himself into a local hospital before he decides to perform the "final check-out". Once admitted and committed he spends the next 5 days in the psychiatric ward where he suddenly fits in, gains a bit of fame, and makes some well-thought out life changing decisions. I love reading a good YA novel... wish we had them during my own teens.
"Teen Angst... Naaah" - For anyone who is a teen or was a teen... Vizzini writes honestly and openly about the ups and downs of high school life while he still was a teen. A quick read and a good laugh.
Jerry Spinelli
"Stargirl" - Self-named Stargirl Caraway is truly an original. A teen comfortable in her skin... she does her thing and eventually turns her intolerant classmates into adoring fans. Yet notoriety can be a fleeting flash in the pan as Stargirl finds out.
Haven't read this one yet... 
Sherman Alexie
"The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian" - The awkward, teenage years of a Native American who doesn't fit in his culture or the white world where he goes to school, is the subject of this wonderful book. Heart breaking, poignant and funny... it makes you think while you enjoy the read.
"Flight" - Flight takes you on a ride through time with a teenage Indian boy searching for his own identity. As the young man is on the verge of committing a horrific act of violence, he is whisked away on a trip that will change his life for the good. Great book... great on CD...
Nick Hornby
"Slam" - Skateboarding Sam gets slammed when his girlfriend becomes pregnant, changing his life dramatically. His conversations with skateboard star Tony Hawk are funny and wise.
"A Long Way Down" - Four people, all suicidal, pick the same night and the same popular jumping spot to end their lives. Fate brings them together, thwarting their plans and changing their lives. Classic Hornby, funny and profound.
Non-Fiction
Others by Ronson 
Jon Ronson
"The Psychopath Test" Are psychopaths running the world? A bizarre, fascinating look at the world of psychology... try this book, it's not what you think!
Jon Krakauer
"Into the Wild"... follows Christopher McCandless, a bright young man with a promising future, as he disappears into the Alaskan wilderness. Questioning his parents way of life, society and the American dollar, Chris seeks answers by spending time in seclusion. A heart wrenching read... the movie was great, too.
"Under the Banner of Heaven" - A brutal murder in 1984 prompts Krakauer to investigate the roots of Mormonism. A disturbing yet fascinating read.
"Into Thin Air" - Krakauer's eyewitness account of the disastrous May, 1996 attempt to reach the top of the world... Mt. Everest.
Tracy Kidder
"Strength in what Remains" - begins by following Deo through Burundi and Rawanda during the period of genocide in 1993. Miraculously Deo escapes to the United States. Against unimaginable psychological and physical odds, and with the help of some kind New Yorkers, he studies at Columbia University, becomes a doctor and gains his U.S. citizenship. Deo does not forget his roots or his people and returns to Burundi to help the most needy. An amazing story.
"Mountains Beyond Mountains" - Dr. Paul Farmer, a brilliant humanitarian who works with the world's poorest... the people of Haiti, is explored in depth by Kidder. Farmer appears in "Strength in what Remains" as a mentor to Deo.
Rawicz's only book... written as a voice for freedom.
Slavomir Rawicz
"The Long Walk: the true story of a trek to freedom" - Just prior to the onset of WWII, Slavomir Rawicz was arrested by the Red Army, imprisoned and sent to a Siberian labor camp. A year later he and six other prisoners escape and begin a walk that takes them thousands of miles under life threatening conditions. This is their unforgettable journey... an amazing story, humbly told.
Pictured: the Arctic explorer Ernest Shackleton 
Alfred Lansing
"Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" - A heart-pounding account of Ernest Shackleton's thwarted attempt to reach the South Pole on the ship The Endurance which became ice-bound, and how he and his crew survived in Arctic conditions for over a year. A memorable line from the book tells it all... "These are men."
Here's to an amazing woman... 
Jeannette Walls
"The Glass Castle" - A memoir of Ms. Walls life growing up with alcoholic, dysfunctional parents. Against all odds she has made a success of her life.
"Half Broke Horses - a true life novel" - Regarded as a novel because Walls' grandmother, the subject of this incredible book, is dead and much of what is recounted is from the author's memory and stories told to her by her mother. Great book about an outstanding woman who was ahead of her time.
Sebastian Junger
"The Perfect Storm" - The hard lives of the hard working and playing fishermen of Gloucester, Mass. is expertly researched in the tragic story of the fishing boat the Andrea Gail, which was lost at sea during a "perfect" storm. A storm of such magnitude might occur once in a century... a great read.
Laura Hillenbrand
"Seabiscuit: An American Legend" - It's the depression and America needs a hero... who should fill the void but a bandy-legged race horse with a desire to run and win. Paired with a much to large jockey, an alcoholic trainer and a depressed owner, Seabiscuit triumphs against all odds. A wonderful read and a great movie as well.
"Unbroken" - The life of Louis Zamborini, a street urchin, Olympic runner and WWII prisoner of war, is told in this unforgettable true story of strength, courage and inner fortitude. Unbroken is unforgettable.
And another from Grann... 
David Grann
"The Lost City of Z: a tale of deadly obsession in the Amazon" - A century ago the English explorer Percy Fawcett, along with his 18 year old son and his son's best friend, walked into the Amazon intent to discover the remains of a lost empire. The small party disappeared. The question of what became of them has led adventurers over the past 10 decades to brave the Amazon jungles... some of whom never returned to tell their tale.
and another on my read list for a later date... 
Jonathan Franzen
"Freedom" - At 560 plus pages, I admit I would have put this one down if I wasn't reading it for my book group. The main characters... a family whose flaws surface for all to see, are not likeable but as the reader learns why they are who they are, they become understandable. A meandering read with a lot to say about relationships, personal causes, forgiveness and what we sacrifice for freedom... the book as well as the characters, for me, came together in the end. After all is said and done... we are who we are.
***************************
more by Franklin... 
Tom Franklin
"Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" - More than a mystery, Franklin's book is a tale of racism, ostracism, family and the meaning of friendship. Told through the words of 2 characters dealing with both their present and past situations, Franklin's tale emerges slowly with twists and turns until the very end.
***************************
The woman behind this wonderful book... 
Kyung-Sook Shin
"Please Look After Mom" - Mom is missing and her life is revealed as family members search and remember their relationship with this woman. Written in simple prose, the dialogue speaks directly to the reader... a great book.
Other reads from Jean... 
Jean Thompson
"The Year We Left Home" - This book isn't for everyone, at times I wondered why I kept reading it... I questioned where the book was going. Finally I decided there is as much said between the chapters of this novel as in the chapters themselves. Without going into great detail, by way of her characters' self analysis of their lives, Thompson creates a portrait of a dysfunctional American family over a 30 year period. A book of family and the ties that bind.
***************************
the author... 
Kathryn Stockett
"The Help" - Although racial prejudice in the 60's is the subject of this book, it is still a light read. Easy, yet satisfying... impressive as it is Stockett's first book.
***************************
Patchett's latest... 
Ann Patchett
"Bel Canto" - A book I would have passed over after glimpsing the cover... a mix of opera and militants holding hostages did not entice me. Thank goodness for the local librarian who recommended it. A great read! I found myself surfing the airwaves for opera.
"Run" - Not Patchett's best... I listened to it on CD, perhaps it is a better read. A young African American woman gives her two young sons up for adoption. Later in life, as a single woman, she is raising her daughter on her own. The children are reconnected by a twist of fate which changes everyone's life.
Khaled Hosseini
"The Kite Runner" - A story of Afghanistan, the friendship between two boys, forgiveness and living a true life. A wonderful book.
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" - A look into the world of Afghan women... again, Hosseini tears at the heart. Great read...
Irving Stone
"Lust for Life" - A biographical novel of the life of Vincent Van Gogh... one of my favorite painters, one of my favorite books. Historically accurate except for one page, when Stone imagines what one of Vincent's hallucinations was like. It was the only page I didn't like.
"The Agony and the Ecstasy" - Michaelangelo is the subject of Stone's ambitious, historically accurate account of the great sculptor and painter. A truly inspiring read. If you find yourself in Florence make sure you see his sculpture "David". Mind-blowing...
"Depths of Glory" - The painter Pissarro is revealed in this interesting biographical novel. Pissarro, though a passionate artist, doesn't have the angst filled life of either Van Gogh or Michaelangelo... thus the read didn't inflame my sense of creativity as Stone's other work did.
Quirky Novels... Uniquely their own
British comedian and author Mark Watson... 
Mark Watson
"Eleven" Not quite your regular read, yet not quite quirky. A novel about how we are all connected and how the decisions we make affects others in ways we would never imagine. An entertaining easy read.
and his non-fiction... 
Jonathan Safran Foer
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" - A young boy with a high IQ is the center of this Foer novel. Oskar Schell sets out to discover the mystery of a key that belonged to his Dad who was killed at the Twin Towers on 9/11. This book deals with father/son relationships, death and forgiveness... it crosses generations and oceans. Great read... one of a kind.
"Everything is Illuminated" - If you feel confused, keep reading... everything will be illuminated. Great movie, too!
On my reading list... 
Markus Zusak
"The Book Thief" - Death narrates this WWII novel... Zusak creates a personality for Death which enables him to carry out his job. The story of the young girl it follows is both sorrowful and wonderful. A great book for teens and adults.
and another by Martel... 
Yann Martel
"The Life of Pi" - Winner of the Man Booker Prize, the author takes the reader across the ocean on a lifeboat with Pi Patel and a collection of zoo animals that are the only survivors of a ship which sinks while traveling from India to Canada. Clever lines with no wasted words.
Auster's on my to read list... 
Paul Auster
"The Brooklyn Follies" - I listened to this on CD read by the author. The start is a downer... a man diagnosed with cancer returns to his old neighborhood to live out the last of his days... so glad I didn't eject this one as the book takes a twist and becomes positively upbeat. Well written with a great cast of characters.
More Mosley... 
Walter Mosley
"The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey" - 90 year old Ptolemy Grey is healthy in body, but slowly losing his mental acuity. Frightened, frustrated and feeling alone, Ptolemy is given the opportunity to finish up his unfinished business. As he reviews his life and loves, the reader is taken on a journey into his past and a delightful feel-good tale of his last days.
Mystery/Thriller
Gyles Brandreth
Any of the Oscar Wilde series of mysteries... With the wit of Wilde gracing the pages, Brandeth's series of mysteries is endless entertainment. Historical characters as well as historical events form the basis of this marvelous collection.
Waiting for more from Higashino... 
Keigo Higashino
"The Devotion of Suspect X" - I found this book as perfect as the step-by-step cover-up a high school mathematics teacher plots as he stays ahead of the detectives investigating the murder of his neighbor's ex-husband. An intelligent thriller...
A third by French... 
Tana French
"In the Woods" - A psychological thriller that I couldn't stop listening to... Yes, I did the CD version. Enjoyed the reader, loved the book. You do have to get past the crime as a young girl is murdered, but the story line is complex, the characters rich.
"The Likeness" - I was disappointed in French's follow up thriller which I found long, 450 pages, and at times unlikely... how many times can an undercover detective make phone calls while sitting in a tree without someone discovering her. With that I wondered why I liked French's first mystery so much... perhaps it was because I listened to it, a different experience all together.
Stieg Larsson
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"The Girl Who Played with Fire"
"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest"
A trilogy of page-turners... fast-paced with great characters integrated into a complex story line. Lisbeth Salandar is "The Girl...", a tough, tattooed, ninety pound wonder that will wow you.
Asa Larsson
"Sun Storm"
"The Blood Spilt"
"The Black Path"
Rebecka Martinsson, a tax attorney from Stockholm, is in the center of mystery and murder in these three thrillers from Sweden. Though each book stands alone, there are references to Rebecka's previous experiences that shape her psychology... read them in order.
Henning Mankell
"The Man from Beijing" - A cross-cultural thriller running through generations of wrongs remembered. Complex and brilliantly rendered.
Any of the Kurt Wallander mysteries...
Yet another mystery writer from Sweden that I thoroughly enjoy. Read the Kurt Wallander series from the start... "Faceless Killers", "The Dogs of Riga", "The White Lioness" etc..
Historical Fiction
More by Winsor... 
Kathleen Winsor
"Forever Amber" - England's answer to Scarlett O'Hara... Amber is unforgettable as well as unforgivable. Winsor expertly takes the reader through 17th century England. Great read.
Tracy Chevalier
"The Girl with a Pearl Earring" - 17th Century Holland is the setting for this intimate, imagined creation of the artist Vermeer's most famous painting of a girl with a pearl earring. Chevalier's writing is wonderfully detailed.
"Falling Angels" - Edwardian London sets the scene for Chevalier's novel of life through the eyes of the innocent. Historically, sweeping changes are in the air as the suffrage movement begins to boil.
"The Lady and the Unicorn" - Art weaves its way through Chevalier's novel of forbidden love between the classes. Chevalier gives a strong sense of place and time in all of her works.
"Remarkable Creatures" - The place: Lyme Regis, England The time: The 19th century On the beaches of a seaside village fossils are discovered by a poor working-class girl, Mary Anning. The find sets the academic community in a whirl as the idea of extinction is introduced to the world.
YA - Young Adult
Mr. Vizzini himself... 
Ned Vizzini
"It's Kind of a Funny Story" - Craig's cracking under his own pressure to excel. Depressed and suicidal, Craig wisely checks himself into a local hospital before he decides to perform the "final check-out". Once admitted and committed he spends the next 5 days in the psychiatric ward where he suddenly fits in, gains a bit of fame, and makes some well-thought out life changing decisions. I love reading a good YA novel... wish we had them during my own teens.
"Teen Angst... Naaah" - For anyone who is a teen or was a teen... Vizzini writes honestly and openly about the ups and downs of high school life while he still was a teen. A quick read and a good laugh.
Jerry Spinelli
"Stargirl" - Self-named Stargirl Caraway is truly an original. A teen comfortable in her skin... she does her thing and eventually turns her intolerant classmates into adoring fans. Yet notoriety can be a fleeting flash in the pan as Stargirl finds out.
Haven't read this one yet... 
Sherman Alexie
"The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian" - The awkward, teenage years of a Native American who doesn't fit in his culture or the white world where he goes to school, is the subject of this wonderful book. Heart breaking, poignant and funny... it makes you think while you enjoy the read.
"Flight" - Flight takes you on a ride through time with a teenage Indian boy searching for his own identity. As the young man is on the verge of committing a horrific act of violence, he is whisked away on a trip that will change his life for the good. Great book... great on CD...
Nick Hornby
"Slam" - Skateboarding Sam gets slammed when his girlfriend becomes pregnant, changing his life dramatically. His conversations with skateboard star Tony Hawk are funny and wise.
"A Long Way Down" - Four people, all suicidal, pick the same night and the same popular jumping spot to end their lives. Fate brings them together, thwarting their plans and changing their lives. Classic Hornby, funny and profound.
Non-Fiction
Others by Ronson 
Jon Ronson
"The Psychopath Test" Are psychopaths running the world? A bizarre, fascinating look at the world of psychology... try this book, it's not what you think!
Jon Krakauer
"Into the Wild"... follows Christopher McCandless, a bright young man with a promising future, as he disappears into the Alaskan wilderness. Questioning his parents way of life, society and the American dollar, Chris seeks answers by spending time in seclusion. A heart wrenching read... the movie was great, too.
"Under the Banner of Heaven" - A brutal murder in 1984 prompts Krakauer to investigate the roots of Mormonism. A disturbing yet fascinating read.
"Into Thin Air" - Krakauer's eyewitness account of the disastrous May, 1996 attempt to reach the top of the world... Mt. Everest.
Tracy Kidder
"Strength in what Remains" - begins by following Deo through Burundi and Rawanda during the period of genocide in 1993. Miraculously Deo escapes to the United States. Against unimaginable psychological and physical odds, and with the help of some kind New Yorkers, he studies at Columbia University, becomes a doctor and gains his U.S. citizenship. Deo does not forget his roots or his people and returns to Burundi to help the most needy. An amazing story.
"Mountains Beyond Mountains" - Dr. Paul Farmer, a brilliant humanitarian who works with the world's poorest... the people of Haiti, is explored in depth by Kidder. Farmer appears in "Strength in what Remains" as a mentor to Deo.
***************************
Rawicz's only book... written as a voice for freedom.Slavomir Rawicz
"The Long Walk: the true story of a trek to freedom" - Just prior to the onset of WWII, Slavomir Rawicz was arrested by the Red Army, imprisoned and sent to a Siberian labor camp. A year later he and six other prisoners escape and begin a walk that takes them thousands of miles under life threatening conditions. This is their unforgettable journey... an amazing story, humbly told.
***************************
Pictured: the Arctic explorer Ernest Shackleton 
Alfred Lansing
"Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" - A heart-pounding account of Ernest Shackleton's thwarted attempt to reach the South Pole on the ship The Endurance which became ice-bound, and how he and his crew survived in Arctic conditions for over a year. A memorable line from the book tells it all... "These are men."
Here's to an amazing woman... 
Jeannette Walls
"The Glass Castle" - A memoir of Ms. Walls life growing up with alcoholic, dysfunctional parents. Against all odds she has made a success of her life.
"Half Broke Horses - a true life novel" - Regarded as a novel because Walls' grandmother, the subject of this incredible book, is dead and much of what is recounted is from the author's memory and stories told to her by her mother. Great book about an outstanding woman who was ahead of her time.
Sebastian Junger
"The Perfect Storm" - The hard lives of the hard working and playing fishermen of Gloucester, Mass. is expertly researched in the tragic story of the fishing boat the Andrea Gail, which was lost at sea during a "perfect" storm. A storm of such magnitude might occur once in a century... a great read.
Laura Hillenbrand
"Seabiscuit: An American Legend" - It's the depression and America needs a hero... who should fill the void but a bandy-legged race horse with a desire to run and win. Paired with a much to large jockey, an alcoholic trainer and a depressed owner, Seabiscuit triumphs against all odds. A wonderful read and a great movie as well.
"Unbroken" - The life of Louis Zamborini, a street urchin, Olympic runner and WWII prisoner of war, is told in this unforgettable true story of strength, courage and inner fortitude. Unbroken is unforgettable.
And another from Grann... 
David Grann
"The Lost City of Z: a tale of deadly obsession in the Amazon" - A century ago the English explorer Percy Fawcett, along with his 18 year old son and his son's best friend, walked into the Amazon intent to discover the remains of a lost empire. The small party disappeared. The question of what became of them has led adventurers over the past 10 decades to brave the Amazon jungles... some of whom never returned to tell their tale.
***************************
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