1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
This book is really a teenage book. I saw that our youth group at Church is reading it so thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. It's the story of a young black girl who comes from a very poor and dysfunctional family living in the projects. But her parents are smart enough to realize that for her to make something of herself she needs a better education than she can get at the local school. So they scrape enough money together along with scholarships, use an uncle's address in the suburbs, and she transfers to an all white (or mostly white) school away from her surroundings. She blossoms and does well but still lives in 'the hood' so she is surrounded by violence, temptation and danger. One night at a party, she accepts a ride with a gang-banger and in the course of the evening he is killed by a cop. The rest of the book tells the story of her coming to terms with this event, with herself, and with her environment while living in two different worlds. It is a fascinating and well told story. I have to admit that it really made me think about the plight of people living in a world so very different and more dangerous than mine. It also made me evaluate how I think about people and wonder about that old adage, "walking a mile in their shoes".2. The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstram
Oh no...not another Korean War book! This was recommended by a friend and it was very good. It not only told the story of this horrific war, but it diverged to tell the story of some of the most important politicians and military officers who directed the war. The battlefield scenes and descriptions are gruesome but eye opening and are necessary to tell the story. But that doesn't make them any easier to swallow. The descriptions of the men involved in the war are interesting and provide an insightful window into their thinking and actions. It must be said that Gen MacArthur doesn't come off very well and is consistent with other accounts of him that I have read. While depicted as larger than life, he seemed disengaged, distracted and plain wrong much of the time. It's a book that you will enjoy if you're interested in the subject. Otherwise, it might be a struggle.3. Grant by Ron Chernow
Ron Chernow is a great biographer and he has done a great job with President Grant. I learned a lot about him and came to respect his capability and contributions much more than I had previously. He has been given a bad rap about drinking over the years but I think, if the book is to be believed, that the truth is a lot different. Did he have a drinking problem at various points in his life? Yes. But he was able to fight it and largely conquer it. That he was a brilliant General and perhaps our most brilliant in history cannot be disputed. He absolutely understood the nature of the fight he was in and did what was required to win. But he was gracious in defeat. He was not a person you would expect would ascend to the Presidency but circumstances wound up thrusting him into the job. He perhaps did more with less support than anyone in history. Over the course of the book I came to admire him greatly and genuinely feel he has not been given his due in the history books. If you like biographies, you'll like this.
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