Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (2)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (7)
- France (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Friday, January 25, 2013
Stunning, Sweeping, Superior—No Matter Which Words You Choose, Unbroken Is Amazing
2:01 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
In 1936, Louis Zamperini—a California boy born of two Italian immigrants—was on top of the world. After breaking records in his home state and beyond, the 26-year-old runner traveled to Berlin to compete in the Olympics. He didn't medal, but that didn't dim his dream at all—he simply trained harder, his sights set on the 1940 games. Little did Zamperini know that that competition would never occur. Or that a few years later, he'd be trapped in a Japanese prison camp, his finely-toned body wasting away from the effects of starvation, dehydration and frequent beatings. Louis Zamperini's journey from one extreme to the other is a tale so incredible, so inconceivable, so totally unbelievable that it can only be fiction.
Except it's not.
It's easy to see why journalist Laura Hillenbrand chose Louis Zamperini's story to be the subject of her second book. The tale has all the daring, desperation and drama of the most action-packed thriller. The fact that Zamperini is a real person just makes it more affecting. As she did in Seabiscuit—her best-selling debut—Hillenbrand breathes vivid life into her hero, drawing readers into Zamperini's story with subtle, but significant skill. I'd put off reading Unbroken, despite fervent recommendations from family and friends, because it just didn't sound like "my" kind of book. Here's the thing, though: It didn't matter one whit. Unbroken hooked me from the very first page, stunning me with each new detail, mesmerizing me with every word, every scene. Absorbing doesn't begin to describe this one. Stunning, epic, sweeping—I don't even know which words to use. Except for these two: read it.
(Readalikes: Other books about WWII and the prison camp experience, although no specific titles are coming to mind. Help?)
Grade: A
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (one F-bomb, plus milder invectives), violence, and disturbing scenes/subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Unbroken from Changing Hands Bookstore with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Except it's not.
It's easy to see why journalist Laura Hillenbrand chose Louis Zamperini's story to be the subject of her second book. The tale has all the daring, desperation and drama of the most action-packed thriller. The fact that Zamperini is a real person just makes it more affecting. As she did in Seabiscuit—her best-selling debut—Hillenbrand breathes vivid life into her hero, drawing readers into Zamperini's story with subtle, but significant skill. I'd put off reading Unbroken, despite fervent recommendations from family and friends, because it just didn't sound like "my" kind of book. Here's the thing, though: It didn't matter one whit. Unbroken hooked me from the very first page, stunning me with each new detail, mesmerizing me with every word, every scene. Absorbing doesn't begin to describe this one. Stunning, epic, sweeping—I don't even know which words to use. Except for these two: read it.
(Readalikes: Other books about WWII and the prison camp experience, although no specific titles are coming to mind. Help?)
Grade: A
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (one F-bomb, plus milder invectives), violence, and disturbing scenes/subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Unbroken from Changing Hands Bookstore with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
The Widow of Falbrooke Court4 hours ago
-
-
The Cultist’s Wife by Bj Sikes6 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
The Humans: Matt Haig18 hours ago
-
-
-
Books from the Backlog #91 day ago
-
-
-
-
Bookish Quote of the Day!!2 days ago
-
-
-
Audiobook: The Mango Tree3 days ago
-
-
-
-
Final Cut by Marjorie McCown5 days ago
-
-
-
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth6 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
Reading as a retreat from reality1 week ago
-
Reading Recap March 20243 weeks ago
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up4 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?6 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra10 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ▼ 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)