Even After All This Time by Afschineh Latifi (2005)

A story of love, revolution, and leaving Iran.

I learned about this book from a high school friend who has actually met Afschineh, and have met the couple who almost became her in-laws. A must read. Non-fiction and I kept finding myself thinking that cannot possibly be true, but it is.

The story begins in 1979 when Afschineh was only 10 years old, and her father, a colonel under the Shah of Iran was imprisoned by Khomeini’s solders. A mother and three children were left to do all they could to free him, and begin the struggle for the survival of their own lives. This compelling true story is a page-turner from the first page. It is a story of such familial love and courage that I can hardly believe it is non-fiction. It is a real study of the life in a different culture. It is also an example of incredible obstacles overcome and persistence to survive against terrible odds. A must read. Reviewed by Mickey Shuford

The Zookeeper's Wife: A war story by Diane Ackerman (2007)

I learned about this book in the Bas Bleu (Bookseller by Post) catalog. I highly recommend this book to anyone old enough to read about World War II, and it is a true story, one that has fallen through the cracks with so many such histories out there. My Book Club discussed it last fall, and appreciated it.

This is a remarkable story about kind deeds done by a Christian family in wartime Poland. The wife of a Warsaw zookeeper, Antonina Zabrinski had an almost mystical connection with animals. During the Nazi occupation the zoo was devastated, and Antonina cared for what few animals survived, and expanded her guardianship to include people needing refuge and protection. Throughout WWII the Zabrinski’s used their home and zoo to save over 300 hundred lives….activists and Jews. The book is beautifully written, vivid and moving, and a detailed portrait of every living creature cared for by the Zookeeper’s wife. Reviewed by Mickey Shuford

The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin

This book is a factual account of "the school children's blizzard" of 1888 in the U.S. prairies where much immigration had occurred in hopes of a better life and free land. You will read about every aspect of life including history, weather, religion, science, heartbreaking stories of struggle against the elements, intense faith, and bitter disappointment. Many descendents contributed to the authenticity of the content with stories told through their families and also written accounts passed down from ancestors who had survived the blizzard.
It is a hard read, but compelling, and gives you a greater appreciation for the prairie pioneers - and for our modern weather technology and widespread communication! Highly recommended to me by Allan Latore, this is a captivating record of the devastation that resulted from a lack of knowledge of fierce weather conditions.
Mary Ann Taylor

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

I came across the book The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman in the Christus Victor Library in 1996. Normally I do not pick up "self-help" books to read but I did this one because the donor of the book, a HTLC member, had hand-written a dedication to her husband in it. That said to me that it must be a special book. And it is.
In The Five Love Languages, Mr. Chapman, explains that everyone is loved best in one of five primary love languages: acts of service, gifts, quality time, physical touch and words of affirmation. In order to really express love to someone, it's most effective if expressed in their primary love language. If our loved one is not seeming to "feel" our love for them, it may be that we're using the wrong love language. I gained this insight at a very critical time in my life and I am happy to say that learning about primary love languages has had a huge impact on my marriage. It's an "easy read" and may be the help you're looking for. Leslie Benfield

The Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright

You don’t have to be a big reader to enjoy this book. It’s a quick read because, once you start, you can’t put it down. When three grown children innocently start reading their deceased parent’s letters, they get a huge surprise. Suddenly, their mercy and ability to forgive are put to the test. You will definitely want to keep going to the surprise ending. Then come tell me what you think Laurel should have done! This book is on the CVL fiction shelf. (if Shirley has finished it). Be sure your Kleenex is handy. Karen Kahill

The Book Thief by Markus Zusac

Markus Zusac's "The Book Thief" is ultimately about the triumph of hope in the face of unspeakable cruelty. Written for young adults, it is a work adults may appreciate more. It is long...over 500 pages..but absorbing, once you get caught up in Liesel Meminger's story of survival in Hitler's Germany. This is not Ann Frank revisited-though there is a Jewish boxer hiding in the basement.
Recommended by Barbara Thomas and Tina Dunlap
Given to the Christus Victor Library in memory of Georganne Carswell

Three Cups of Tea by Mortensen

"Three Cups of Tea" is at once an incredible adventure story of a mountain trek gone wrong in the ungovernable territory of Pakistan. The failed mountain experience leads to a spiritual awakening that results in the author's establishing schools in areas where none had existed before. This establishment results in a dedicated, long term transformation which involves the uniting of divergent communities on two continents. Greg Mortensen's book is excellent non-fiction. Reviewed by Skipper Smith

The Thirteenth Tale by Setterfield

In this era of multiple births it is easy to get sucked in to this story of twins and siblings who are intent on fooling everyone around them.

The story revolves around a highly successful author's efforts to record her life story as she fights off imminent death. The young lady she hires to write her memoirs soon suspects that all she is hearing is not strictly true. The reader moves quickly from past events to a present inquiry and back again - always with the strange feeling that there is a 13th tale to be told. These mischievious, unbridled, and some felt uncivilized twins take you on a merry chase that will thrill and chill you.

This adult fiction is for the serious reader and is best enjoyed without too many interruptions. But it is worth every minute and will leave you wanting more. It is now in the CVL.