This March, reading Unbroken broke me!

One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash. This was my book club book. Ron Rash is a southern author. The book was fantastic- very Faulkneresque. Billy and Amy Holcombe are involved in the murder of Holland Winchester, but no one can prove it. Not Holland's mother, not the sheriff, no one. The story is told through the eyes of 5 different characters. Eventually, the truth comes out the day that Carolina Power floods and creates Lake Jocassee. I couldn't stop reading it! Strongly suggested, especially if you like southern literature!! I will say that most of my book club didn't enjoy it the book as much as I did though.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. The story of Louis Zamperini. He was an Olympic runner whose plane went down in the middle of the Pacific during World War 2. When he and his raft-mate finally floated to shore after 47 days at sea, they immediately became POWs in Japanese camps. When he was finally freed at war's end, he went through horrible PTSD. That is, until he heard Billy Graham speak. From that moment on, his life was different,. He stayed active well into his 90's, skiing, running, even skateboarding. Even though the story was very interesting, I had a really hard time reading the book. Clearly, as I only got 3 books read this month. It was more of a history buff's book. And I am far from that. Oddly enough, I would suggest it to anyone who loves war history though. Hillenbrand is an excellent writer after all.

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn. I've read quite a few of her books. Most of them are modern day fairy tales. Literally- she takes a fairy tale and sets it in modern times. This one was no fairy tale. Nick, a 16 year old rich kid, is in anger management because he beat up his girlfriend. His anger issues stem from the fact that his father likes to beat the crap out of him and humiliate him. The story goes back and forth between Nick writing in a journal about his relationship with Caitlin and what is happening in his life now. It was a tough story to read because I really was able to identify with Caitlin. It's hard to stop forgiving someone you love, even when they are acting out. Nick humiliated her, called her names, treated her badly, didn't trust her and finally hit her. In the end, he lost the girl, but gained much more. He finally realized that being a man isn't about making yourself better than others by putting them down, but about being strong and sensitive. A man is secure enough in himself that he doesn't need to control the people around him.