A must read...

I read Escape from Camp 14 after hearing about it somewhere on the expansive World Wide Web.  I thought it would be an interesting read with all the news about North Korea - their new leader, nuclear weapons, and the infamous labor camps.  

I didn't expect most of what I read.  Every now and again you hear about North Korea and their hard labor camps for those deemed criminals.  So who cares if a criminal is charged with hard labour? But we forget that such nations don't follow laws according to our own - were what is deemed criminal activity has less to do with violent and heinous acts....but more to do with what you believe, who your parents are, etc. 

After reading this book I'm surprised that there aren't more organizations and people trying to end these hard labour camps in North Korea.  These camps that N. Korea claims don't exist have killed hundreds of thousands since their inception over 50 years ago.  What's also different from Nazi concentration camps is that children are born and raised in these camps - they know nothing of the outside world.  And so you are introduced to Shin Hyuk...the only known person to be born and escape from one of these camps.  

What's it like to not understand the term "family"....but to see blood relatives as nothing more than competition for food.  To say that Shin grew up as an animal is too kind....here in America we treat our animals like family.  Our animals know and experience love....

I just can't fathom some of the things I have read.  I urge you to read the book....experience it all for yourself.  There are moments where the book is slow as you read about history, events of that time, and seemingly non-related stories.  But in the end it's all there to provide you with a background story...to provide a frame of reference and to give you a moment to digest the horror.  

Back to books..

I've just started reading "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" which was also adapted into movie during '09.  It was on the  NYT bestseller's list for over a year.

Will it be a cherished part of my reading repitoire? Maybe not, but so far I've run into some of the best quotes I've seen in a book in a loooooong time.

"I don't really know how to explain it, but when we move, we are in a way de-structured by our movement toward something; we are both here and at the same time not here because we're already in the process of going elsewhere."

Do you sometimes feel like you're always here but not here? Live in the moment...pause, take a breath.  Breathe. 

Kitchen House by K. Grissom

Stress...anticipation...sadness...and more stress.  These are the words I can use to describe my feelings as I read this book.  The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom details the life of Lavinia - a young, freckle faced/red headed - Irish orphan who becomes an indentured servant on a southern plantation.  Taken in by the owner's slaves, Lavinia is raised to help in the big house.  As the book unfolds we watch her struggle between "family" and her "place in society." 

This book was passed on to me by a friend and it took me a little while to get into it.  I started the book - got a few pages in and left it by the wayside.  Well I decided to pick it back up the other night and I'm glad I did.  It was a fast read - probably about 2 1/2 days...I couldn't put it down because I HAD to know what happens.  I realized at the end how stressed out I felt while reading the story.  There are times where it just gets pretty intense while you're rooting for your favorite characters. 

So if you're looking for an easy but drama filled read - The Kitchen House will not let you down.

Heaven is for Real

During my time away from writing - I have been doing some reading, traveling, and starting life anew. So as I get back into it after some gentle persuasion from friends I have a reading recommendation.

A few months back I read Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. It's an amazing and TRUE story about a young boy (Colton Burpo) and his trip to Heaven. Colton, only 4 years old recounts stories about what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was in surgery, meeting his grandfather that died man years before Colton was born, stories in the Bible he's not yet learned, meets Jesus, etc. Though it takes a little while before you get into the heart of the story, it's a very good read. If you're a little spiritually lost I think this book can help you rediscover your way. And it's a really fast read - I finished it in one day because the story was so inspiring.

If you do happen to read it let me know what you think....

The Help by K. Stockett

The book club I'm part of nominated and voted for "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.

The book takes place in Jackson, Mississippi at the onset of the Civil Rights movement in 1962. Skeeter, a new college graduate is determined to become a writer while the rest of her friends pine for husbands, pop out babies, and hold bridge club nights in their home. A New York editor willing to give her a chance tells her to write down some stories that she can review. After a couple unsuccessful attempts, Skeeter finds the story of a lifetime - the black maids of Jackson Miss will tell their story; the good and bad of working for the white women employers. And then "The Help" turns into a sad but moving story about the African American help and the white women they work for.

The main characters - Abileen, Minny, and Skeeter are a trio to reckon with. I loved their interactions, ups, and downs. Despite the book's sad tone - there were many times when I found myself laughing out loud. Interspersed through the bleaker stories are those of friendship and love. I loved that Stockett represented both sides of the coin - we all know not everyone was a bigot back then.

I think I loved this book because the story was moving and I related to the characters, being from the south myself. So I'm not sure if everyone will enjoy the book as much as I did...but waiting almost 4 months on the library check out list was definitely worth it. Kudos Ms. Stockett!

Sarah's Key - Tatiana De Rosnay

For our book club we just finished reading Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay.

The book is about an American born woman living in France as a journalist. She has a daughter, French husband and adores her Parisian lifestyle...until she's asked to write about France's blemish the Vél' d'Hiv'...the 1942 deportation of French citizens by French police to German concentration camps. Soon Julia finds that her husband's family and her soon to be new apartment may have played roles in horrible crimes against the Jews.

Amidst Julia's story we also hear from Sarah - a young Jewish girl whose family is round up one morning in July by French police. Afraid, Sarah has her young brother Michel hide in the secret bedroom cabinet until the family is able to return for him later. Sarah along with other families are sent to nearby holding centers around Paris before being shipped to Poland for extermination.

The book is a fast and easy read. Not only do you want to know what happens to Sarah but you become immersed in Julia's personal battles. The story is incredibly sad; though Sarah's Key is fiction, the Vél' d'Hiv' was a real event where thousands of Jewish people were handed over to the Germans by their fellow countrymen. What makes the Vél' d'Hiv so sad - is that the majority of those arrested were women and children.

I read the book, I enjoyed the story...even though it was terribly heartbreaking.

The Shack by William P. Young

The Shack by W. Young is a work of FICTION. The end of the book may confuse you but don't be alarmed...it's simply fiction. I think its supposed to be like the Da Vinci Code where the media might be able to hype it up and gain audience interest (in the event a movie is ever made).

Anyway, this novel is about a man who after a horrible family tragedy is summoned to the very place of the 'accident' through a letter from God. So Mack (short for Mackenzie) will travel to this place of his nightmare to reconcile the darkness in his heart and his relationship with God. Yes at the shack Mack will meet God in real life.

The book was really interesting and different. The descriptions are very vivid in both your senses and emotions. If you're deeply religious then some of the ideas in this book will be very touching. If you're not I think the ideas behind it can be applied in other aspects. It's not a long read; however, at some points the conversations with "Papa" can be quite confusing - when He explains some of the concepts of living completely in God, etc. But if you stick with it then you might find something that touches you.