A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn
Romance, Travel, Africa | Amazon | Goodreads | my review
=====> Loved how this one transported me to 1920s Africa.
The Boys in the Boat:
Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
Non-fiction, Sports | Amazon | Goodreads | my review
=====> Loved learning about the world of rowing.
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I am looking forward to watching the Gymnastics. How about you?
FYI: I am going to read this one for the gymnastics theme - it is a dark one...
First sentence(s):
This book was born on a cold, drizzly, late spring day when I clambered over the split-rail cedar fence that surrounds my pasture and made my way through wet woods to the modest frame house where Joe Rantz lay dying.
Daniel James Brown’s robust book tells the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936.
The emotional heart of the story lies with one rower, Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home. The crew is assembled by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but it is their trust in each other that makes them a victorious team. They remind the country of what can be done when everyone quite literally pulls together—a perfect melding of commitment, determination, and optimism.
Drawing on the boys’ own diaries and journals, their photos and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, The Boys in the Boat is an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate story of nine working-class boys from the American west who, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what true grit really meant.
PeekAbook:
My two-bits:
Absolutely inspiring!
This is one of those reads where the underdog prevails despite all the odds. The journey up to the moment of the win had nail-biting moments.
Loved the coaches and mentors who brought out the best in the individuals.
And, loved how this book encompassed all aspects of the time period from across the sea as well as at the boy's university.
About the author:
Daniel James Brown fell in love with the written word when he was five and his mother first read Danny and the Dinosaur to him. Since then he has earned a BA in English from the University of California at Berkeley and an MA in English from UCLA. He has taught writing at San Jose State University and Stanford University and now lives in the country east of Redmond, Washington, where he writes nonfiction books about compelling historical events.
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* listened to the audio version - definitely recommend
* per imdb the film for this book is currently in development stage
* added this to my Books On The Nightstand Bingo challenge (details) - square: Currently on the Bestseller List
* added to my COYER challenge/scavenger hunt (details)
Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
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For Review:
Silent Circle
(The Witches Circle #1)
by Cassandra Larsen
-Fantasy, Witches, YA
courtesy of author -Thanks! Amazon | Goodreads
The Call Of Gelduur
(The Norrland Saga Book 1)
by Jack Alriksson
-Fantasy
courtesy of author -Thanks! Amazon | Goodreads
The Devil and Winnie Flynn
by Micol Ostow
illustrated by David Ostow
-Paranormal, YA
courtesy of SOHO Teen -Thanks! Amazon | Goodreads
Echoes
by Laura Tisdall
-SciFi,YA
courtesy of author -Thanks! Amazon | Goodreads
Dreamland
by Robert L. Anderson
-Fantasy, YA
courtesy of Epic Reads @epicreads -Thanks! Amazon | Goodreads
=====> Wasn't expecting this one. Looks good :-)
Library:
The Boys in the Boat:
Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
by Daniel James Brown
-Non-fiction, Sports Amazon | Goodreads
Daniel James Brown’s robust book tells the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936.
The emotional heart of the story lies with one rower, Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home. The crew is assembled by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but it is their trust in each other that makes them a victorious team. They remind the country of what can be done when everyone quite literally pulls together—a perfect melding of commitment, determination, and optimism.
Drawing on the boys’ own diaries and journals, their photos and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, The Boys in the Boat is an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate story of nine working-class boys from the American west who, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what true grit really meant.
=====> listening to audio version
UNBOXING:
From Uppercase package (details & signup): A hand-selected young adult book & fun bookish item, delivered monthly #UppercaseBox
August Box includes:
* Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson
* Signed bookplate from Shanna Swendson
* Book cover steampunk bookmark from Compass Rose Design
* Button for Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4) by Marissa Meyer
* Peter Pan temporary tattoo from Litographs
A sixteen-year-old governess becomes a spy in this alternative U.S. history where the British control with magic and the colonists rebel by inventing.
It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family—but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister—but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause—but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret.
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* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently
* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers
Top Ten Tuesday
meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish -details
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!
Note: I will do a variation of this meme with books I have not already mentioned on my site. Also, books that I would like to eventually read.
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MY TOP 10
Hyped Books I've Never Read
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin
-Contemporary fiction, Books Amazon | Goodreads
Saga
by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples (Artist)
-Graphic novel, Scifi Amazon | Goodreads
Love Fortunes and Other Disasters
by Kimberly Karalius
-Romance, YA Amazon | Goodreads
The Queen of the Tearling
by Erika Johansen
-Fantasy, YA Amazon | Goodreads
A Darker Shade of Magic
by V.E. Schwab
-Fantasy, Magic, YA Amazon | Goodreads
Beautiful Disaster
by Jamie McGuire
-Romance, New Adult Amazon | Goodreads
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and
Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
by Daniel James Brown
-History, Non-fiction, Sports Amazon | Goodreads
An Unnecessary Woman
by Rabih Alameddine
-Literary Fiction, Books Amazon | Goodreads
Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own
by Kate Bolick
-Feminism, Memoir Amazon | Goodreads
