#49 The Orphan's Tale

The Orphan's Tale
By Pam Jenoff

This book sounded like a good read, but in reality it was chic lit written at about a grade 8 reading level, almost like a young adult novel. Though the novel was based in part on the true story of a German circus during WWII that helped save Jews, this was only a small part of the novel. The main part was an unlikely tale of two young women who meet in the circus. One of the young women has rescued a Jewish baby from a rail car full of babies, awaiting their death at a concentration camp. She ends up saved by the circus and becomes a trapeze artist. Highly unlikely.

The book had promise, but did not fulfill.

Rating: 2/5
Recommendation: No.

#48 Hard Laughter

Hard Laughter
By Anne Lamott

The story of three adult siblings who deal with their father going through the diagnosis and treatment for an operable brain tumour. Don't bother to read this one. I skimmed through a lot of it cause there seemed like no point. Blah blah blah. Just get on with it.

Rating: 0/5
Recommendation: NO!

#47 The Orphan Sky

The Orphan Sky
By Ella Leya

This story takes place in Azerbaijan during the years of Russian occupation. Leila is a talented pianist, on her way to a career as a concert pianist. Leila lives a life of ease with her family, her father a communist party supporter who takes bribes to support their life style. Leila meets a young bohemian artist who introduces her to life beyond the rhetoric of communism. Leila takes chances and makes mistakes in her pursuit of personal and artistic freedom. In the end, she defects to the US to escape her KGB husband and the constrictions of her communist country.

The novel looks at the lives of some of the great Russian composers, dancers and musicians, many of whom defected to the freedom of western countries.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommendation: An interesting look at life under communism in the 1970s.

#46 Every Wild Heart

Every Wild Heart
By Meg Donahue

Another chic lit novel, an easy and entertaining read.

Gail Gideon is a popular radio talk show host. She is divorced and has a teenage daughter, Nicola, who loves riding horses. Nicola has a riding accident and emerges from her coma with subtle changes in her personality. A string of events leads her and her mother to a new life.

Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: Readable, though nothing earth shattering.

#45 A Harvest of Thorns

A Harvest of Thorns
By Corban Addison

This novel exposes some of the issues central to the manufacturing of clothing in third world countries. Based on a true story, the novel follows three workers in the clothing industry in Jordan, Bangladesh and Malaysia. It also follows various characters in a fictitious American clothing company and how they deal with the fall-out from a terrible clothing factory in Bangladesh. An illuminating look at the lives of the invisible people who sew the clothes we wear and the lengths companies will go to to save a few dollars and increase profit.

Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: An interesting read with a plot that keeps you reading.

#44 We Are All Made of Glue

We Are All Made of Glue
By Marina Lewycka

Another novel by the Polish/British author. This one, unlike the first two, doesn't deal with immigrant labour in Britain.

This book tells the story of an elderly Jewish lady who escaped the Nazi death camps during WWII, though this doesn't come out until the very end. The story is told as a kind of mystery story, and the story slowly unravels as a neighbour helps the old lady when she falls and ends up in the hospital and unscrupulous social workers and Realestate agents try and scoop her very valuable house while she is at her weakest. However, they don't realize how strong this eccentric old lady is, and the neighbour helps her to survive and prosper.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommendation: An OK read. Entertaining, incorporating the story of Jews who escaped Nazi Germany via Denmark.

#43 Sully

Sully
By Chesley "Sully" Sullengerger

Didn't read all of this book, just the second half, cause I really wasn't that interested in Sully's childhood and flight training, just the actual incident.

This book is about the flight that landed in the Hudson River minutes after take-off from an airport in New York. The plane hit a flock of birds and lost both engines. In three minutes, the pilots had to come up with a plan or face a catastrophe if the plane crashed over the city. They decided to land in the Hudson River and were successful. All the passengers and crew got out alive.

The movie features Tom Hanks as Sully, and for that reason, I will never watch that movie. Kind of turns me off for some reason, that they chose such a famous actor to play a here.

Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: Sure.