Book 37: David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens' favorite book that he wrote.

I expected this book to be about a child, but it takes the reader through the title character's entire life. It is surprisingly humorous (I never realized that Charles Dickens was so funny!) and deeply touching.

One has to settle in and enjoy the meandering style of authors of a previous age, but if you do, you really get drawn meticulously into the story.

The ending (when I finally got to it) was deeply satisfying. There I was, sitting in bed in a hotel room (my husband was taking a shower) bawling as I read the last chapter, dabbing my eyes so I could read.

This is the kind of story that stays with you for a lifetime.

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Book 40: A Higher Call, by Adam Makos

Finished October 29, 2022 The subtitle of this book is, "The Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II" and the book does not disappoint. Painstakingly recreated by author Adam Makos, this story is lovingly told, introducing new generations to the miraculous story of an American pilot and his German savior. A Higher Call tells the story about Franz Stigler , a German fighter ace of the Luftwaffe who flew a Messerschmitt Bf 109 , and Charlie Brown , a 21-year-old American pilot of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress named 'Ye Old Pub'. Five days before Christmas in 1943, the Ye Old Pub was involve in a bombing mission over Germany. It was a mission that experienced severe casualties, and the Ye Old Pub took on extensive damage. One engine was out. The tail was missing parts which made navigation very difficult. The nose cone was obliterated, which brought the frigid win...

Book 12: Brian's Return, by Gary Paulson

Finished April 16, 2002 I love that feeling of complete integration when I'm listening to a podcast or audiobook and I get so fascinated that I have to pull over and park, and listen with all my being. It's like a feeling of falling in, but pleasantly so. That happened today with a sequel to a book in which it had happened before. The first book, Hatchet , concerned a 13-year-old boy named Brian who must survive in the Canadian Rockies when his small plane crash lands. Hatchet contained several scenes in which I "fell in." The sequel (one of several sequels), Brian's Return , contained a poignant scene in which Brian has an experience reading Shakespeare that changes his life. In the story, Brian's friend had recommended that he take a few -- just a few -- books with him when he went back to his beloved forest. He recommended Shakespeare and told Brian to read slowly and out loud. Feeling a little silly, Brian does one day, as he waits for his clothes to dry...

Book 27: The Great Train Robbery, by Michael Crichton

Finished July 28, 2022 This is a tight, fast-paced book that combines historical narrative and supreme story telling. Somehow, Crichton manages to weave an accurate mystery from a story to which every reader knows the ending. Nevertheless, it's an edge-of-your seat telling of this robbery of gold from a train in 19th Century London. Crichton also paints a vivid picture of life in Victorian England at various socio-economic levels. This is an intriguing, tragic, lively story, told at a pace and in a depth of scene-setting that shows a level of skill few writers achieve.

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