Title: Escape from Camp 14
Author: Blaine Harden
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Summary: An amazing (and true) story of a North Korean man's escape from a prison camp to the United States. Shin Dong-hyuk was born in one of North Korea's prison camps. He's the first known person that was born and raised in one of these camps that escaped and lived to tell about it.
My review: I think this is my first review of a non-fiction book on this blog. I'm not averse to non-fiction at all, I think I just have a perception that they require more concentration and so I'm hesitant to commit to them because I don't have a lot of energy or concentration by the end of the day. But I read this based on a recommendation from a friend and I couldn't resist at least trying it.
This book was fascinating for some many reasons. One, it shows the strength of the human spirit. Two, I knew that North Korea was hardly Shangri-La, but I don't think I was truly aware of the atrocities and the terrible camps.
This book is not upbeat to say the least. I had to switch between this and The Last Anniversary at times. That being said, it was still great, if only for the description of life within the camp. The details on his life in America were a little vague, but the rest was fascinating. Highly recommended.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Book review: The Last Anniversary
Title: The Last Anniversary
Author: Liane Moriarity
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Sophie has always wondered if she'd made a mistake breaking up with Thomas just when he was going to propose. Three years later she was still single while Thomas was now married with a baby. When Thomas' Aunt Connie dies, she leaves her house on Scribbly Gum Island to Sophie. Sophie had only met Aunt Connie a few times, but this event changes Sophie's life in ways she didn't expect and reconnects her with Thomas and his extended family. Various family members are dealing with personal issues and this book rotates through the personal lens of the different family members.
My review: This is one of Moriarity's older books. I had read her most recent book, The Husband's Secret, prior to starting this new blog. I liked that book, so I thought I'd read some more of her work. I'd definitely characterize her books as chick lit, for any male readers of this blog (who may or may not like chick lit). It also takes place in Australia, which allows me to dream about going or even living there someday. This is a light, fluffy book and a nice counter to the next book that I'll be reviewing. Stay tuned.
Author: Liane Moriarity
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Sophie has always wondered if she'd made a mistake breaking up with Thomas just when he was going to propose. Three years later she was still single while Thomas was now married with a baby. When Thomas' Aunt Connie dies, she leaves her house on Scribbly Gum Island to Sophie. Sophie had only met Aunt Connie a few times, but this event changes Sophie's life in ways she didn't expect and reconnects her with Thomas and his extended family. Various family members are dealing with personal issues and this book rotates through the personal lens of the different family members.
My review: This is one of Moriarity's older books. I had read her most recent book, The Husband's Secret, prior to starting this new blog. I liked that book, so I thought I'd read some more of her work. I'd definitely characterize her books as chick lit, for any male readers of this blog (who may or may not like chick lit). It also takes place in Australia, which allows me to dream about going or even living there someday. This is a light, fluffy book and a nice counter to the next book that I'll be reviewing. Stay tuned.
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