Wander Girl

I have either lots of free time or none, depending on what day it is. But something I can’t help but make time for is books. Books are an escape. They take you out of your own world and into the world of the characters. I like reading both fiction and non-fiction, but escaping into a fictional world is often more fun and freeing than jumping into a world that exists, whether in history or current times.

My goal for the year was to read 75 books, but due to a spring and summer filled with tragedy and a move and ongoing job hunting, I’m a bit behind. But I thought I’d share some books I have gotten to that have left me with questions or searching for another read that will catch my attention. A few I’ll share with you are all actually non-fiction that I feel everyone would benefit from reading.

1. The Dressmakers of Aushwitcz:

Wow! This book is in one word, harrowing. I love reading about WWII, but after listening to this early in the year, I had to take a break from that era genre for a while. It left me feeling heartbroken and utterly speechless. The idea that people can do these things to other people because of supposed superiority is beyond belief. The Dressmakers became favored by the Nazi wives because of their superior seamstress skills. These same skills saved hundreds of Jews. This hits even harder now with the war raging in Israel. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Israelis.

2. The Bookwoman Of Troublesome Creek:

Another kind of crazy story about people who are different. Fortunately, this one is not quite as bad as the dressmakers of Auschwitz. It addresses the people of the Appalachia, who, at one point, were the recipients of Eleanor Roosevelt’s traveling libraries. The book is loosely based on real history. However, the characters are not real people. It is a story I’ve never heard of and really drew my attention.

3. Spy Fail:

I unfortunately didn’t finish this one, which is not usually a quality that makes for a good recommendation. This book was absolutely fascinating. It dives into our spy system and how other countries are getting past our safeguards and how scary that should actually be for us. I didn’t finish this one because I needed a lighter read at the time, but do plan on reading more if it within the coming year.

Okay, okay, I’ll give you a lighter read option as well.

4. Remarkably Bright Creatures:

My first fiction recommendation. I can’t tell you how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It takes place from the point of view of the Octopus who lives in an aquarium tank but enjoys getting out and visiting other creatures. The Remarkable creatures aren’t who you think they are. It’s a beautifully written story.