To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I hadn't read Harper Lee's classic since high school, so when I heard her new book was coming out later this year, I decided it was the perfect time to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird. I've always counted it as one of my favorite books, so I was curious to see if that sentiment would hold true 15 years later, now as an adult and mother.

I was sucked in from the very first page. It's a shame Lee never really wrote anything else. Her writing is captivating. The characters are so rich. And I have a confession to make. I. LOVE. ATTICUS. FINCH. He strikes a perfect balance of tirelessly sticking to his guns while being the most empathetic person in Maycomb County. His ability to stay cool under pressure speaks volumes about his personal integrity.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it's told from Scout's perspective. The events of this novel would be interesting regardless of who's narrating. But having the whole thing told from a young child's perspective brings a certain clarity and naive honesty to the story. Atticus often has to reign in Scout's temper and teach her the very principles that make him such a respectable man. Scout is also proof that the racial prejudices at the foundation of the story are culturally imposed, not something we identify with as children. Scout, who has been raised by a black nanny, can't understand why the white people in town are so willing to believe a lie about a black man when there's a pretty questionable white man tied to the problem. I would guess this fact may be the reason Lee chose Scout as the narrator. By examining racial prejudices from a child's perspective, Lee illuminates just how unjust things were in segregated communities not so long ago.

I'm glad I took the time to re-read Mockingbird and plan on doing it again a few years down the road. It's a literary masterpiece that examines issues that, although removed in time and place, still exist today. It's a good reminder to try to look at things objectively and not let our own prejudices create blind spots.

Overall Rating: 5 stars

Content Warning: Occasional language. Sensitive subject matter for children (the central point of the story is a lawsuit alleging the rape of a white girl).

Target Audience: Anyone high school age or older should read this book at least once in their lifetime. If you've been putting it off, go pick it up and read it!

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

In this inspiring true story, a team of nine rural boys from Washington cause the nation and the world to pause and reconsider everything they know about the sport of rowing. Most of the story focuses on Joe Rantz, the ultimate underdog, who fought against amazing odds to end up as one of the top rowers for the University of Washington in the 1930s. As the Washington boys work towards their Olympic dreams, Hitler and his minions are carefully crafting the 1936 Olympic Games to show the world a beautiful facade hiding horrors no one had possibly yet imagined. For fans of Unbroken, this rowing team competed at the same Olympics as Louie Zamperini.

After reading Unbroken, I saw this book suggested on Amazon and immediately put it on hold at my library. It took a couple months to make its way to me, so I was a little extra anxious to get started with it when I finally got my hands on it. I wasn't disappointed! Who doesn't love an underdog story? I'm amazed that, even though I knew how it would end, there was still so much suspense leading up to each event. The author did an excellent job of building the story to make you feel part of it and get your hopes up each time the team competes.

Joe Rantz's story is pretty amazing. Just like when I read Unbroken, I came away with a sense of how different life was back then. These men had real work ethic and weren't afraid to live on bare bones for the chance to go to a university and be on the rowing crew. They dedicated themselves to school and sport. It's rare to find people today with the same work ethic that existed back then.

I also found it interesting to read about some of the preparations for the 1936 Olympics. Hitler and his right-hand man, Goebbels, put an insane amount of effort and money into the facade they built to hide the gruesome reality of Germany at that time.

Overall, I loved this book. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is for the excessive descriptions in some sections. The pace dragged a little at certain points of the book. Where Unbroken kept me turning pages and intrigued every step of the way, The Boys in the Boat, was easy to put down here or there. Other than the slow parts, this was an excellent read. I knew nothing about rowing before I picked this up, but that didn't matter. The author explains the intricacies of the sport well enough that by the end, you understand how miraculous the ending is.

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Content Warning: There is some brief, scattered language, but not much. Some adult topics are grazed over, but nothing graphic is discussed.

Target Audience: Anyone looking for a fascinating, true story, fans of Unbroken, anyone who's interested in rowing.

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

**I'm going to treat this series as one book for two reasons. 1) I read all 3 books in about 48 hours, so it felt like one continuous book to me. 2) I liked all 3 books equally and didn't feel like any of them stood out of the crowd enough to warrant its own post.

The Selection series:
The Selection
The Elite
The One

Looking for a lighter read, I found this gem in the YA section and devoured it. It's like a mash-up of The Hunger Games and The Bachelor, all set in a fairy tale kingdom. 16-year-old America Singer reluctantly signs up to be on a reality show set up to find a match for the newly eligible prince of the kingdom, Maxon. Unlike the rest of the beauty queen wannabes and Maxon superfans, America is there to help her family, who is unfairly placed near the bottom of the kingdom's broken caste system. She develops a funny friendship with the prince along the way and finds herself enjoying the whole ordeal more than she expected.

Although the series starts out feeling like it might just be fluff, Cass does an excellent job of intertwining the dating escapades with more serious undertones of unrest in the kingdom. And what would a YA dystopian novel be without a love triangle? Although many of the elements in the book are similar to previous YA dystopian trilogies, The Selection provides a refreshing take on the genre. Usually by the 3rd book in these series, I feel like the author has given up and created a terrible ending. The Selection is the first trilogy of its kind that had me interested and satisfied to the end.

One warning: When I started The Selection, I thought the whole "Selection" process would be done in the first book. When I finished #1, I had to rush to the library to grab the next two books so I could find out what happened. My suggestion: grab all three at the same time. You'll be done with all three in a couple days anyway.

Once you've finished the series, you can join me in anxiously awaiting The Heir, coming in May 2015. It serves as a sort of epilogue to the series, giving you a view of what comes after happily ever after.

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Content Warning: There are a few slightly steamy make-out scenes and a few suggestive comments referencing what will come post-wedding, but nothing graphic or alarming. There are also a few mild swear words. Overall, it's very tame. I would let my 13 year old read this.

Target Audience: teenage girls or any female with a bit of a romantic streak

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

I'm usually not much a non-fiction reader, so to say this is one of the best books I've ever read is really saying something. Louie Zamperini's story could be told by pretty much anyone and would garner a lot of attention and awe. However, Laura Hillenbrand artfully chronicles Louie's life, from boyhood to old age, while inserting background information that helps you truly appreciate how incredible his life was. The book reads with the ease of fiction while telling what might be one of the most heroic, death-defying stories ever to be told.

If you've seen the movie and think you know the story, stop right there and go grab this book. The movie skims over his boyhood and trip to the Olympics, tells about a third of what happens to him while at war, then doesn't cover his later years at all. As I watched the movie in the theater, I kept whispering extra details to my husband. I just couldn't help it!

Hillenbrand provides just the right amount of detail to help you understand how miraculous Louie's story is without boring you. In order to grasp just how dangerous his last rescue mission was that ended him up at sea for 47 days, you have to understand the historical and technical background of the plane he was flying. Seeing footage of POWs being treated horribly is bad, but when you know all the illnesses they had on top of that and how sickly and starved they really were, you'll struggle to understand how any person could treat another human being that way. Hillenbrand weaves this details into the story perfectly.

The crowning moment of Louie's story, and the inspiration behind the title, comes from his life post-war, as he struggles with PTSD and finds God. By the end, this book paints a beautiful picture of the power of forgiveness and the resilience of the human spirit. Don't put this on your "want to read" list. Drop whatever you're reading a go grab it now. It's a must read.

Overall Rating: 5 stars (can I give it 10?)

Content Warning: Louie experienced some horrible things as a POW. Some of the content it quite violent. There's also a bit of strong language throughout the book, but not an overwhelming amount. There is a YA version that is tamed down and has more photographs. I haven't read that one, so I don't know the exact content, just that it's supposed to be a little less intense.

Target Audience: history buffs or anyone who loves a good human story (not for the faint of heart or young ones)