Fast and furious

I have been reading as quickly as kiddos will allow in order to finish the most recent books that I checked out of the library before they were due back (never mind the fact that I swore to only read the thousands of books that we already have at home).
Here is my take on the latest...
First, I started the summer with Priceless by Robert K. Wittman (it had to be returned to the library before finishing and rechecked out so it was not actually the first completed of the titles below). It is a non-fiction biography of a FBI agent's assignments to recover stolen art as the founder of the National Art Crime Team; many pieces were worth millions and incredibly famous. It is a fascinating look into the art world as well as a glimpse through history. For someone who likes Antiques Roadshow, this is right up your alley. He even does a case associated with Antiques Roadshow!
A friend had recommended the next book, The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond. It is a biography of the blogging sensation, the Pioneer Woman. She describes her city life turned country girl as she falls hard for an Oklahoma cowboy. It is a glimpse into the requirements and joys of that new life...complete with quite a few steamy passages as she describes her whirlwind romance with her cowboy now-husband. I found it interesting as I have often daydreamed about becoming a country girl... While I think I would transition fine to that life, perhaps I am too much of a suburban girl married to a sweet suburban guy to strongly consider the option.
Time for a fictional prelude. I read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. It is a mystery written in a very lyrical, interesting way. It is a modern novel set in the 1950s with a young, curious, and very precocious girl solving the murder that is laid at her father's feet. It is very well written. I have mixed feelings about the book (since it is a bit modern) but the author's language sets one's imagination alive. A very easy read.
Somewhere in there, I checked out a new cookbook from the library. I appreciated it so much that I have since purchased it. Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. It is incredible! I am all about simple and using as few mixing bowls as possible, combining recipe steps etc... Their basic artisan bread recipe is not only easy (few ingred., about 5 min. to mix, and can all be done in one bowl) but makes 4 loaves at a time and can be doubled easily. The bread is incredibly tasty and would cost a pretty penny at a nearby grocery store. This original recipe can be changed up multiple ways for variations. There are also many other base recipes in this book. Love it!!!
The latest book I read was definitely the longest at 400 pages, but don't let that intimidate you. It reads so quickly!!! (I finished in less than a week with even both my kiddos around). Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand apparently has become something of a sensation, and now I understand why! This was by far my favorite book from the list above!!! While this is not just the true story of one man (so many hero's lives are on display in this book), it is primarily the story of Louis Zamperini, record-holder Olympic runner who was defiant teen turned WWII hero turned man of the Lord! As it is not written from a Christian perspective, I found it particularly interesting to read this book since the Lord's hand is all over his life from beginning to end in such a marked way. It was very intense reading about his survival on a life-raft after his plane crashed over the Pacific. And then, horrific to read about his internment under the Japanese. We see his response to the war after he gets home and then God's salvation from his past. Louie is still alive (we missed seeing this 96-year-old soldier for the Lord this weekend at a local church; tickets were already sold out). History comes alive vividly in this book. The lives of these men are so real that I felt like I knew each of them. I was floored by learning more about the aircraft used during WWII and its fatal idiosyncrasies. It gave me a far greater understanding of my grandparent's generation. Most importantly, it shares the gospel in a way that the non-believing world will hear it...a changed life. Wow! What a book!
Stay tuned for another promising non-fiction read or two (I am currently in the midst of two books--one had to be returned to the library and has yet to come back available).