I love readers. Of course I’m partial to those who actually peruse this little bi-weekly column of mine, but I also find that, generally, those who read widely and voraciously have a thirst for knowledge, an open mind, and an excitement for sharing what they learn that just makes them fun to be around. When those two categories of readers overlap, I get dangerously close to giddy. So today this column, now one whole year old, is dedicated to those who have taken a few minutes out of their busy days to send me a suggestion or two of books they think I might like.
A quick caveat: While I’ve glanced at reviews of these books on goodreads to get a better idea of what they’re about, I haven’t been able to personally read them myself (yet). But I trust my readers’ recommendations and I promise I’ll get to each of them someday!
Boy: Tales of Childhood and Going Solo
by Roald Dahl
Recommended by Tussy N in Kemah, Texas
Tussy writes: “I recall another entertaining autobiography, in two books, written by Roald Dahl, “Boy,” and “Going Solo.” After reading many of Mr. Dahl’s books to my children, I was curious about him and pleased to find he had published some of his childhood and young adult adventures.”
Early on in the life of this column I highlighted several biographies. I was so excited when book suggestions started rolling in from readers telling me about their favorite biographies or memoirs. This recommendation was specifically in response to my review of Bill Peet’s autobiography. Roald Dahl is, like Bill Peet, a prolific and well-loved writer of children’s books. Who hasn’t read and loved and re-read The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach? It’s always fun to learn more about authors and try to tease out just how their life experiences are reflected in their writing. Everyone, including famous folk, has more depth and dimensions than our singular perspective can provide.
A Jump for Life: A Survivor’s Journal from Nazi-occupied Poland
by Ruth Altbeker Cyprys
Recommended by Alicia R in Texas
Alicia explains: “Ruth was a Polish Jew in Warsaw, pregnant with her first child as her husband left to fight in 1939. She (and her baby) survive the Warsaw ghetto and the war due to her courage and intelligence, with the help of many miracles and compassionate people. On the train to a concentration camp, Ruth jumps out of the little window, followed by her toddler. After the war, Ruth wrote this record of her experiences and it was found in a drawer by her daughter, 50 years later. This is an incredible story.”
I love stories that showcase resilience and the indomitable spirit of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary challenges. The horrors of World War II and the Holocaust are recent enough that it’s easier to realize that the people involved – on both sides – are not that different from us. Human beings are capable of astounding acts of bravery and kindness, as well as almost unfathomable evil. And we each get to decide which end of the spectrum we will strive for in our own lives.
Remarkable Creatures
by Tracy Chevalier
Recommended by Deb G.
Deb shares: “I just found an author you probably know about and am fascinated with her way of involving you in an earth-shaping event by someone we know little or nothing about. She tells stories with interesting characterization and details of both people and their environment that make the stories very interesting.
“The book I’m reading is about two women who meet in S. England, come from different social classes but have in common a fascination for rocks that look like creatures – what we call fossils, but in their day were a mystery reserved for ‘gentlemen’ to learn about generally. True story, too… they were instrumental in contributing in a major way to our understanding of earth’s history even though they weren’t ever allowed to join any of the science societies as they were female -I won’t ruin it for you if you want to read!”
Thanks for not spoiling the end, Deb! The best non-fiction books often read like a novel, with well-rounded and developed characters, a forward-moving plot with unseen twists and turns, and a stirring conclusion. It’s not at all surprising that Ms. Chevalier, better known for her best-selling historical novel Girl with a Pearl Earring (based on the Johannes Vermeer painting), would write compelling historical non-fiction, too. I can’t wait to pick up this one!
Dragon Seed
by Pearl S. Buck
Recommended by Anne B.
Anne writes: “I know she wrote many wonderful books about China, but I especially enjoyed Dragon Seed because it helped me see the rural family in China at the time the Japanese invaded in a very different light.”
Dragon Seed is a novel, but a thoroughly researched fictional story can be as informative as a non-fiction book, especially when written by someone who was as deeply immersed in the setting and culture as Pearl Buck was in China during the early decades of the twentieth century. While I haven’t yet read Dragon Seed, I have read The Good Earth and I was profoundly moved by the human elements that translated so directly across many years and thousands of miles. I recently heard that a new biography of Ms. Buck was published last year, so that’s going on my list of books to read someday, too.
The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling Smallpox
by Jennifer Lee Carrell
Recommended by Ann L in Orem, Utah
Ann writes: “I loved this book, every page, every description of life in the early 1700s. The author did meticulous research and the notes and sources are fascinating as well.”
Since recently reading Siddhartha Mukharjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, I’ve been intrigued by the medical-historical genre. I also just finished a slew of children’s books about the Civil War, one of which (You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Nurse during the American Civil War! by Kathryn Senior) focused on the medical practices of the time. Let’s just say I’m more and more grateful for advances like anesthesia, vaccinations and antibiotics! I’m looking forward to reading The Speckled Monster and learning about the history of smallpox, the only human infectious disease ever to be certifiably eradicated.
The Hot Zone and The Demon in the Freezer
by Richard Preston
Recommended by Heidi H. in Wellington, New Zealand
Heidi says: “I started thinking about some non-fiction books that made me think about things differently, since you asked for suggestions. Richard Preston’s non-fiction: The Hot Zone and The Demon in the Freezer are my favorites.”
Don’t you just love it when a book opens your eyes and makes you see something in a completely new light? Mr. Preston’s books, by many accounts, do exactly that with scary topics like the Ebola virus and bioterrorism. Science writing can be tricky; you have to explain the topic thoroughly and accurately enough that the layperson will “get it” without overwhelming the average reader with so much minutiae that s/he will become bored or lost.
It takes a special story-telling ability for a non-fiction book to be as page-turning as a thriller, but Mr. Preston seems to have accomplished that task. These are at the top of my list!
There was no way I could fit in all of the book suggestions I’ve received over the past year, but please keep sending those recommendations! I love getting them – and you could see your name and favorite book in print when I run another column like this! Thanks for reading!
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On My Bedside Table.
Just finished: A whole lot of children’s books about the American Civil War. A couple of favorites were Under Siege!: Three Children at the Civil War Battle for Vicksburg by Andrea Warren and The Civil War for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Janis Herbert
Now reading: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
On deck: Bill Moyers Journal: The Conversation Continues by Bill Moyers
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Come find me on goodreads.com or email suggestions, comments, and feedback to egeddesbooks (at) gmail (dot) com. Happy birthday, Gene! I’m glad you were born.
