Hands down one of the hardest books I‘ve ever read. Reading Ruta‘s other WW2 book “Salt to the Sea” should‘ve prepared me for the brutal reality of the millions of people caught between Hitler and Stalin - but, this book was even harder to push through because of how tragic, dark, and emotionally brutal it is. I feel like reading this book has honored the memories of those it was based on and opened my eyes to other tragedy‘s that happened in WW2.

These are my favorite books. They‘re beautifully written & drag me into a world of fantasy, emotion, and characters I fall in love with, root for, and feel with. I‘ve been reading them since high school and it‘s time for my yearly read -starting with the Fellowship and ending with The Hobbit (weird, I know). Reopening these books is like re-meeting old friends and discovering bits and pieces I‘ve somehow overlooked in previous readings.

One of my bookshelves. The photo on top is a collage I made of some of my favorite quotes from The Lord of the Rings cut out from my spare set :)

Really liking this so far! She is a fantastic writer!

This book is like a swift kick in the gut - eye opening to the atrocious acts happening in World War II to people fleeing, caught in between warring countries, and fighting to live. We often hear stories about concentration camps but not often about those caught in between Hitler and Stalin‘s power and control, fleeing for their lives. Heart wrenching. 😭
#salttothesea

“It wasn't that I forgot Hanna. But at a certain point the memory of her stopped accompanying me wherever I went. She stayed behind, the way a city stays behind as a train pulls out of the station. It's there, somewhere behind you, and you could go back and make sure of it. But why should you?”

In honor of #blackhistorymonth I‘ll be reading these three books! What books either authored by or written about the black community do you recommend?

This is my happy spot :)

Drink better coffee, read even more books, embark on fantastic adventures. #2018resolutions

Weakness is treating someone like they belong to you. Strength is knowing that everyone belongs to themselves. - Maame

(From ‘Homegoing‘ by Yaa Gyasi) #powerfulstatement

What are 2 books that changed your life? Recommend them in the comments :)

For me, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi ✌🏽

My best friend (of 9 years) and I finally got our best friend tattoos with a quote from our favorite books ❤️

Great way to end the night 🙌🏽

While most people I know raved about how phenomenal this book was, I had a hard time getting through it (and didn‘t even finish the last couple chapters). It was hard to follow and had so much going on and so much constantly changing that it made it hard for me to keep up with it - I ended up calling it quits about 3/4 of the way through.

I first read this book in 2007 and hammered through it in days. It follows the long life of an Irish immigrant to New York in the 1700‘s, through the slave trade, a couple wars...it is a fiction written about the history of Manhattan (and NYC) and how it went from a disgusting slum to the metropolis it is today. It also has some Irish folklore and African magic in it. “Forever” is easily in my top 5 favorite books of all time. #PeteHamill #Forever

This trilogy is easily my favorite book series (I do love The Hobbit but not quite as much). I read these for the first time in high school and read them once a year as an adult. The magic, excitement, and adventure never gets old - even after all these years! #lordoftherings