Books

It's been ages since a did a books post, but it's not because I haven't been reading - quite the contrary. I've finished 10 books in that time, and started a few more but had to give up on them (which I don't like doing but my pile of books to read is rather big and when I get bogged down with a book I'm not really enjoying I read it a lot less and it takes ages to get through. I currently have 13 books ready to go (4 on the kindle). I leave for China in 33 days. It's safe to say I won't have got though even half in that time. A few of the unread books are going in a parcel to be shipped home and a few will find their way somehow into my (going to be) very full bag and will keep me occupied on my 20 day journey across Mongolia and Russia. Because there are quite a few that I've read I'm going to split this post into two. so the books I read from Feb - March and then April - June will be later this week! I would say please give me your recommendations, but for now, please don't I have too many already on my list! :-/

Great book jumping between WWII in France and present day. About a hidden part of the war when the French authorities rounded up French Jewish citizens to send to the death camps. This girl makes a promise to her brother that she will come back for him. And that is a promise she will keep no matter what.

My mum recommended I read this as we're taking a trip to Edinburgh where it's set. A lovely little story about a bond between a dog and his owner. The Scottish vernacular was a little hard to follow sometimes but that was where the Kindle dictionary (sometimes) came in handy.

Recommended by Nicola. A sad story about love, mistresses and losing someone.

An amazingly sad story about a German couple who take in 'The Book Thief' - a young girl whose family are taken to a concentration camp for being communist. Her new mother and father are good to her, but have their own worries as they are outcast in their community for failing to join the Nazi party. To add to matters they also end up harbouring a fugitive Jew in their basement. An incredible story.

My mum got me to read this, the main character is a woman living in Japan who comes back home to find everything is changing. She ends up on a mission to find out what happened to an early protester for womens' rights. Delving into the past and questioning her future.