True Notebooks by Mark Salzman is probably not the type of book I would usually pick up. It was the book-group choice, and I thought it sounded interesting. The author spends a year or more teaching writing classes in a juvenile hall, to 17 and 18 year olds who are waiting to be tried. His style of writing and telling his story is so engaging, sincere, and honest, it's so easy to get attached to the students he's teaching. He includes many excerpts from their work, which are both heartbreaking and enlightening. All in all I would recommend this to everyone.
Yesterday I finished Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. This story follows one family before and after Katrina. The main character, Zeitoun, lives with his wife and four children in New Orleans. He is originally from Syria, worked on ships for much of his life, and decided to settle there.
This story reads like a magazine article, it's engaging and moves very quickly. It's an amazing story, a glimpse of what happened during Katrina, and totally heartbreaking. I would recommend it, and I hope none of us have to live through a natural disaster like that.
I just started The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, which I am enjoying. I loved Shadow of the Wind, and have heard that this one is not quite the same page-turner, but so far I do enjoy it. More soon.
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