a few of my favorites

This blog is mostly about running and adventures and misadventures I have with that.  The fact that I am a runner is a big part of my life, but there are other things that I enjoy doing on a regular basis.  One of those is reading.  I love to read.  When I went on a fast from buying clothes a few years ago, I replaced buying clothes with buying books.  I can't help myself!  I finish one and already have three or four lined up.  Going to a bookstore or to the library is one of my favorite things.

I am especially drawn to books about tragedies and stories of people who overcome them.  Personal redemption stories.  I love to read about a broken, beaten down hero and how he/she triumphs in the end.  Some of my favorite books I've read in the past couple of years have been about one subject:  World War II.  I can't seem to read enough about this period in history.  The stories about what people endured and strength of the human spirit never fails to captivate me.

Some of my favorite books about WWII are these:

• Unbroken:  a true story about Louis Zamperini (an olympic runner!) who fought in WWII, was captured, and lived to tell about it.  An absolute must-read.  
• Sarah's Key:  two stories are told in this book, one during the War and one in present day.  This will pull on your heart strings but it is very well told.  This was also made into a movie...but read the book instead.  As usual, it's much better than the movie.
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society:  Sounds like an odd title, right?  It ends up making sense, just read the book.  Most WWII books are tragic and heart-wrenching, and while there is a bit of that in this book, most of it is whimsically written and heart warming.  The style of writing is also interesting.  It's written as a series of letters, which I thought it would be strange...but it is an absolutely delightful book.  Highly recommended.
• Those Who Save Us:  be forewarned, this book does not hold back.  It is a bit gruesome in parts but depicts the lengths we will go to to save those we love.  This is also told in two separate stories, modern day Minnesota and Germany in the past.
• The Book Thief:  Liesel, Rudy, Max, Hans, Rosa.  This book is full of characters that will find their way into your heart.  The narrator is Death, which seems strange but it works, and works so well.  Set in a suburb of Munich, there is a young girl, a older couple, a Jew, a best friend, and a love of books.  Be prepared, you will cry.  I don't cry when I read books or watch movies, typically, but I was sobbing by the end of this.  If you only read one of these recommendations, read this one.

What are some of your favorite books?  Have you read any of these?  (You should!)