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Showing posts with label Erik Larson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Erik Larson. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
It's Raining Books! Or, Top Ten Books On My TBR List That Feature Rain
What's the April weather like in your neck of the woods? In my corner of the Sonoran Desert, it's HOT, like in the 90s and above. We've had some overcast skies in the last week, but no rain, sadly. None is predicted in the forseeable future either. Boo hoo. Maybe this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic—April Showers—will act as a rain dance to bring our parched desert some much needed moisture. A girl can dream!
For my list today, I'm going to keep things simple and highlight ten books on my TBR list that feature rain in some way or another. I've had a long day, so I'm not going to include plot summaries, but I will link the book titles to Goodreads. How's that?
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Books On My TBR List That Feature Rain
- in no particular order -
There you go, ten books on my TBR list that feature rain in some way or another. Have you read any of them? What are your favorite "rain" books? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: A Thanksgiving S.O.S.
I love Thanksgiving, so I always make a point not to decorate for Christmas or even listen to carols until after the turkey's been eaten. While I was taking my Sunday nap the other day, however, my husband set up our Christmas tree (ostensibly to see if the new lights he bought for it looked good or if he needed to return them—uh huh). With the tree up and lit, I've had to succumb(ish) to the start of the Christmas crazy (I do love Christmas, just not too early), so I'm officially changing over to the holiday Top Ten Tuesday banner. It's festive and fun, so there you go.
Today's TTT topic—Books to Read If You Love/Loved X (X can be a genre, specific book, author, movie/TV show, etc.)—is one I've been looking forward to, even though it's had me wracking my brain for the perfect topic. The one I came up with is a little...grim, especially considering we're in the season of gratitude, merrymaking, comfort, joy, and so on. Still, it's one that always appeals to me for some strange reason. Call me morbid, but I'm going to go with Top Ten Books to Read If You Love Stories About Maritime Disasters. Honestly, I don't know why I'm so fascinated with this subject. Something about catastrophe striking in the middle of the sea and people trying to survive in such desperate circumstances just intrigues me.
Before we get to that, though, I encourage you to join the TTT party. It's a fun way to spread some love across the book blogosphere, discover new sites, and—of course—get some great reading recs. Click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the info.
Top Ten Books to Read If You Love Stories About Maritime Disasters
1. The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf—Of the many books I've read about the Titanic, this is the one that stands out most in my mind. It's a haunting novel-in-verse that's engrossing and memorable.
2. Dead Wake by Erik Larson—One of my favorite reads of 2021, this non-fiction account tells the story of the Lusitania from the perspectives of not just its passengers and crew but also from that of the operators of the U-boat which torpedoed the ocean liner.
3. Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood—I recently reviewed this middle-grade book, also a verse novel, which is about the S.S. City of Benares, a luxury ship that was torpedoed while ferrying young WWII evacuees out of London.
4. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys—I'd never heard of the M.S. Wilhelm Gustloff—a re-purposed German pleasure cruiser that was packed with civilian war refugees from East Prussia when it was attacked by a Soviet sub in 1945—until I read this gripping YA novel.
5. The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White—This dual-timeline novel features three intriguing narrators, two of whom are passengers on the Lusitania when it sinks. It's an engrossing, twisty, and absorbing read.
6. On a Cold, Dark Sea by Elizabeth Blackwell—Told from the alternating perspectives of three women who are huddled together on Lifeboat 21 watching Titanic sink, this novel is more about their lives before and after the disaster. Still, it tells an intriguing tale.
7. My Last Continent by Midge Raymond—When a marine biologist doing research in Antarctica receives a distress signal from the boat carrying the man she loves, she launches a rescue mission that will require her to risk everything in order to save him.
8. Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan—Although I didn't love this novel, I did find it interesting. It concerns Pulaski, a luxury steamship that runs into trouble when an onboard explosion interrupts its journey from South Carolina to Maryland. I'd never heard of this 1838 disaster before, so the book made for interesting reading.
9. The Midnight Watch by David Dyer—Another Titanic story, this novel focuses on the Californian, which was positioned only a few miles south of Titanic when she went down. Although crew members saw the doomed ship's distress rockets and subsequently woke their captain assuming he would order them to go to her aid, the man simply returned to bed. Could he have saved hundreds of lives if only he had acted instead of going back to sleep?
10. Endurance by Alfred Lansing—Okay, this is a cheat since I haven't actually finished Endurance. Yet. I started listening to it on audio, but soon realized it was so detail-filled that I wanted to read it instead of listening so that I wouldn't miss anything. I'm hoping to tackle it soon as I find the story of the Endurance, which became trapped in polar ice in 1915 stranding its crew in deadly circumstances, absolutely fascinating.
There you have it, ten (well, nine) books about maritime disasters that I enjoyed and highly recommend. How about you? Do you enjoy reading these kinds of books? Which would you suggest I check out next? What's on your TTT list today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, September 07, 2021
TTT: The Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books I've Read So Far This Year
I need more happy reads in my life because prompts like today's—Top Ten Books Guaranteed to Put a Smile On Your Face—always leave me scratching my head. Although I do like a fun cozy mystery as well as humorous characters, I just don't read very many smiley kinds of books. I did manage to come up with ten for February's list of Top Ten Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud and that was tough enough. So, I'm going rogue once again. As promised last week when I listed the Top Ten Best Novels I've Read So Far This Year, this week I'm going to give you the non-fiction version. Today's list was a much easier one to put together because I've only read, ahem, nine non-fiction books in 2021. Luckily, all of them were excellent. I am going to include the one I DNF'd as well because I only ditched the audio—I want to read the book instead of listen to it because I was missing too much by just listening.
Want to join in the TTT fun? Hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books I've Read So Far This Year
- in no particular order -
1. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Story of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown—I know, I know, it's weird to want to read about the Donner Party, but I've long been a fan of pioneer stories and survival tales. This one is both. It's also about a lot more than cannibalism. Brown does an excellent job telling the epic story in all its tragic horror, without sensationalizing the truly horrific bits. It's a fascinating account of a terrible journey.
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear—I loved this self-help book about how to make goals attainable. Clear gives some great advice on not only how to set reachable goals, but also how to break bad habits.
3. The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman—I just reviewed this absorbing book about the jaw-dropping number of people who go missing every year in North America's federal lands. Why do they vanish? And what is being done to find them?
4. A Girl From Yamhill by Beverly Cleary—Did your childhood reading life revolve around Beverly Clearly? Mine did. This first volume of the author's autobiography provides an interesting look at Cleary's growing-up years and how they informed both her character and her writing.
5. American Baby by Gabrielle Glaser—I've always been fascinated by adoption stories, even before becoming an adoptive mother myself. This book uses the story of an unwed mother who placed her child for adoption in the 1960s as a vehicle to explore how poorly such women were treated, not just by the system but by society and their own families. It's a heartbreaking, eye-opening, thought-provoking read.
6. The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest by Mark Synnott—This book tells the story of Synnott's Mount Everest expedition, which focused not on summitting the mountain but on finding a lost piece of Everest history. This is a more academic study of Everest than most and yet, I found it just as interesting (although much slower) than Jon Krakauer's popular Into Thin Air.
7. The Answer Is... by Alex Trebek—I was surprised to discover that this book is actually quite light and funny. It's less of an autobiography and more of a rumination on a life well lived.
8. Dead Wake by Erik Larson—Disaster books are another of my weird reading likes. This one, about the sinking of the Lusitania during World War I, made for a really interesting read (listen, actually, as I enjoyed it on audio).
9. The Lost Family by Libby Copeland—Genealogy is another of my big interests, so I couldn't resist this book about how DNA testing is changing our ideas of family, nature vs. nurture, privacy, and so on. It's riveting!
10. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing—Like I said, I started listening to this book on audio, but I kept having to rewind it to catch parts I missed. Since I didn't want to miss a word, I decided to pick it up in book form instead.
Have you read any of these? What did you think? What are the best non-fiction books you've read this year? I'd truly love to know. Leave a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Friday, August 27, 2021
Inside Trading at My Favorite Indie
Here's what I took with me to trade:
These stacks are a combination of books I've received for review and those I purchased with my own money. I do feel a little bit guilty about trading in volumes I got for free, but honestly, I donate a good 85% of my books to the library, so...
Of these 29 books, Changing Hands accepted 14 for a trade-in credit of $67.80. I know the titles they accept depend on a lot of factors like current inventory, demand, sales, time of year, condition of the books, etc., so I'm always intrigued by which titles they take and which they don't. The books they accepted from me (most of which were in new or like new condition) this time were:
- A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins
- The Wish and the Peacock by Wendy S. Swore
- Blink of an Eye by Iris and Roy Johansen
- While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart
- A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan
- The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
- The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
- The Sanitorium by Sarah Pearse
- The Deep by Alma Katsu
- Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
- Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
- Dreams of Falling by Karen White
Although you can choose to donate the books Changing Hands doesn't take for credit to the store, I always opt to take them to the library instead. I'll be dropping what's left of my pile off there next time I go. If you live locally and you want any of the leftovers, let me know.
What did I get with my newfound book wealth? I thought you'd never ask! Changing Hands sells both new and used books. Since I prefer the latter, I picked up three new books (two are hardcovers) and one used paperback.
- Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos—deVos is a local author, so this YA satire/zombie novel, which came out in June, is signed by her.
- Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo—This National Book Award winner explores poverty in India. It sounds super sad, but also totally fascinating.
- Thunderstruck by Erik Larson—I'm a new fan of Larson. This 2006 book by the narrative non-fiction master explores the accomplishments of Guglielmo Marconi and the near perfect murder committed by Hawley Crippen.
- Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara—This historical mystery/thriller came out earlier this month. It concerns a family of Japanese-Americans who has just been released from Manzanar and is being resettled in Chicago. The suspicious death of a family member who was sent ahead sends them into a tailspin.
After using my trade-in credit, I paid a total of $12.07 (including taxes) for these four volumes. Since I spent over $10 in real money, I got a punch on my frequent buyer card. Altogether, not too shabby of a trip.
What about you? Do you have a local indie you love? Do they accept books for trade-in? Have you read any of the books I just traded in or bought?
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: Because If I'm Going to Read Non-Fiction, I Want It to at Least Read Like Fiction
First off, congratulations to Cheri, who won my 15th Blogoversary Giveaway for a free book. Enjoy your prize! Thank you to her and to all of you for being loyal readers of BBB. I appreciate it more than you could possibly know.
Today's TTT topic is Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time. It's a fine prompt, but one that is just not inspiring me today. Time to go rogue? Yes, yes it is.
I've always been a lover of fiction, with little to no interest in reading non-fiction. Occasionally, an inspiring self-help title would catch my eye or I'd dive into a biography of a fascinating person, but for the most part, it was all fiction, all the time. Lately, though, I've developed a growing appreciation for narrative non-fiction because, you know, if I'm going to read non-fiction I want it to at least read like fiction! I've especially enjoyed listening to these types of books on audio while I drive or do housework. In an effort to find more great titles in this genre, I'm going to share my favorite examples and ask you to recommend yours. Deal?
Before we get to that, though, I have to give a shout-out to our host. Click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl to learn more about TTT and to give Jana some love!
Top Ten Favorite Non-Fiction Books That Read Like Fiction
1. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer—I've read a couple books by this author, but this one is my favorite by far. It details Krakauer's harrowing climb up Mount Everest during a terrible storm in May 1996 that killed five people. The riveting account is replete with Everest history, lore, and firsthand knowledge of what it's like to scale the beast.
2. Dead Wake by Erik Larson—I just finished listening to this book on audio. It tells the story of the Lusitania's last voyage, explaining how and why it sank. Larson makes the tragedy personal by featuring various passengers and their experiences on board. It's fascinating!
Speaking of Larson, a lot of people rave about his The Devil in the White City, which is about a serial killer who preyed on women during the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. While the story is intriguing, I couldn't stomach the grisly details and had to stop listening. I do plan to read his other, less disturbing books, however.
3. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand—Another engrossing read, this one recounts the experiences of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner turned World War II soldier. He experienced so much heartache and trauma during the war that it really is a miracle he survived. This is an inspiring read on many levels.
4. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin—Lark from Lark Writes...on Books and Life recommended this one, which describes a freak storm that occurred in the Midwest in 1888 right as schoolkids were being let out for the day. The unexpected blizzard wreaked deadly havoc on a lot of unprepared people, many of whom were children. It's a sad read, but a gripping one.
5. Columbine by Dave Cullen—This is another sad one, but it's also a fascinating and illuminating recounting of the horrific school shooting. Very thought-provoking.
6. The Lost Family by Libby Copeland—As a family history fanatic, I love learning about genealogical research, DNA, nature vs. nature, adoption, and many other related topics. This book uses the story of a woman who got unexpected results back from a DNA test to ask probing questions about who we are and how our genetics and biological families affect our identities.
7. Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand—By the author of Unbroken, this may have been the first book I read that really qualifies as narrative non-fiction. Even though I know nothing about horses and horse racing, I found it to be a very compelling read.
8. The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming—Like many people, I'm intrigued by the mystery of Anastasia Romanov. This book discusses the murder of her family and the circumstances that led up to it. Fleming uses real letters to contrast the Romanovs' luxurious lives with those of the common Russian during that period, making for an especially thought-provoking read about the lives of this royal family.
9. The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman—Lark and I share an affinity for survival stories set in remote locations, so I get all kinds of great recommendations—like this one—from her. This book talks about the many people who go missing from America's national parks every year and what's being done to bring them home. It's a fascinating read.
10. The Third Pole by Mark Synnott—Okay, this one's a cheat because I just started this book today. It's riveting, though, so I predict it will become a favorite. The book talks about Synnott's expedition to Mount Everest in 2019 in which he and his team hoped to find the camera George Mallory and Sandy Irvine purportedly had on them when they died trying to summit the mountain in 1924. If photographic evidence exists, it could prove that they were actually the first to top Mt. Everest via the North Col, not the Chinese team who famously did it in 1960.
There you have it, ten narrative non-fiction reads that I thoroughly enjoyed. Have you read any of them? Which non-fiction-that-reads-like-fiction books have you loved? Which would you recommend? I'm especially interested in those that explore historical disasters, natural or otherwise. True crime is too much for me, unless it's of the less-graphic variety.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: My Spring-Has-Sprung TBR List
I've been so busy trying to catch up on reviews of books I read LAST year plus keeping up with those I'm scheduled to review THIS year that I haven't done Top Ten Tuesday in awhile. I miss it! This week's topic looks fun and easy, so I'm joining in. You should, too. All you have to do is click on over to The Broke and the Bookish, follow the directions, and you're in. Easy cheesy.
Without further ado, here are the Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR List (ten I'm really looking forward to reading, anyway):
1. Silence by Deborah Lytton—I'm hoping to get to this one really, really soon as I was supposed to have reviewed it a few days back. It's about a girl with a golden voice whose greatest dream is to sing on Broadway. Then, a tragic accident renders her deaf. Sounds compelling, no?
2. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng—After a long wait, I've finally got this family drama/murder mystery out from the library. I'm excited to see if it lives up to all the hype.
3. Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez—I'm intrigued by this YA novel about a girl trying to shed her old identity in a new country, only to have someone from her past show up to complicate things.
4. Descent by Tim Johnston—I'm on the waiting list at the library for this one, which looks fantastic. It's about a family vacationing in the Rocky Mountains when one of their children goes missing.
5. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty—I loved Big Little Lies and I've heard that Moriarty's other books are even better. Can't wait to read this one.
6. On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee—This dystopian sounds different, therefore I must check it out!
7. The Hollow Ground by Natalie S. Harnett—I'm actually in the middle of this family drama/murder mystery set in Pennsylvania's coal mining country. It's about a girl who finds a body in an abandoned monkey hole, a find that uncovers family secrets long buried. So far, it's excellent.
8. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen—I've only read a couple of Dessen's books. This one looks like a bit of a departure for her, so I'm interested to see what it's all about.
9. Dead Wake by Erik Larson—I don't read a lot of non-fiction (a problem I need to remedy), but this book about the Lusitania sounds fascinating.
10. Chestnut Street by Maeve Binchy—Several of my favorite authors, including Binchy, have died in the last few years, which makes me super sad. I love Binchy's novels about everyday families in Ireland. At the time of her death, she was working on a collection of stories about people living on an ordinary Dublin street. Although I'm not big on short stories, I'll read anything by Binchy.
So, there you have it. Kind of an eclectic list, but all ten are books I'm excited about. Hopefully, I'll get to them this Spring. How about you? What's on your list?
Happy St. Patrick's Day! And, as always, happy reading :)
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2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
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