What once was Mine

 

What Once was Mine By Liz Braswell

I am excited to be listening to the twisted tale series again and this book was next. The way it started out was a little confusing at first. With a brother and sister in a hospital rom while she received her chemo treatment. But I thought it was endearing that the story of Rapunzel was told to the sister by the brother in his own version of the story. What a version it was too. Instead of being healed by the Sun drop flower, it was the moon drop flower that was found. This gave Rapunzel's hair a whole new form of magic that makes things more complicated. I don't want to reveal any spoilers so if you would like a different Rapunzel story I recommend this book.

It Happened in Utah

 

It Happened in Utah By: Gayen Wharton

I found this at my local library, I have been wanting to learn more about the history of Utah for awhile, I know a lot regarding rather large events and such. But there are a few small towns or ghost towns that I've always been interested in learning its history. I thought this book might be a good start. At first I will admit the author came a ross as unprofessional in regards to written as a history and even seemed rather biased at times for a historian. But the more I read it changed and I was able to learn a lot from towns that I either have lived in or live near by, and much more. 

Out of the Shadows

 

Out of the Shadows Understanding Sexual Addiction. By: Patrick Carnes, Ph.D.

I read this book as a request from my husband and his therapist. It was very insightful and helped me to understand a little more about sexual addiction and the stigma behind it. It also helped me to understand how this addiction can have an impact on the family and those that are associated with the addicted party. It was very difficult to read as most self help books are but very insightful.

The Hiding Place

 The Hiding Place By Corrie Ten Boom

When I first purchased this book I actually went off the cover and just assumed it was another memoir of a survivor of the Jewish faith from a concentration camp. However Corrie Ten Boom was a Christian woman who was involved in an underground effort in Holland to find safe places for persons of interest to the Nazi's. Not just jews but also young men who they take to put to work, people with a mental handicap, and more. She had a very specific and intricate system of coded communication with all the various people associated with the underground operations. Eventually her and her family was found out because of a mole associated with the gestapo. They were sent to a prison and then eventually ended up at a work camp. 

Her story was so impressive and inspirational to me because of the faith that her and her sister had, despite the horrible conditions they were subjected to. She is such a remarkable woman who always looked to Christ in every situation she faced. Her faith was so strong that she was able to witness and be apart of some amazing miracles. To go through what she went through and not only keep her faith intact but also have it strengthened because of her circumstances. After the war, she went on to tell her story and help spread the message of love and hope through Jesus Christ. As well as set up foundations to help anyone affected by the war.  I HIGHLY recommend reading this book.

Eyewitness Auschwitz

 

Eyewitness Auschwitz By: Filip Muller

This was an interesting read right after reading the eyewitness account from Dr. Miklos Nyiszli. because of what i assumed was the close proximity of where the doctor was located in conjunction to the crematoriums of Auschwitz. I was curious to see if Filip Muller and the Dr had any contact or communication with each other. Filip never mentioned Dr. Nyiszli by name however there was a story that he told that could very well have been correspondence between the two. 

I also found the "voice" or tone of the two books to be so startling different that it made me realize how the individual trauma and how its handled is so vastly different and for the lack of a better word individualized. While both eyewitness accounts are gruesome and horrifying, It seems that one of the survivors experienced caused such different scarring trauma that its harder to overcome than say the other survivor. This concept is something that should have been an easy thing for me to see; a "no brainer" if you will. But I think with the history of events surrounding the holocaust is sometimes lumped together as the events of the Jewish people during WWII. That often times the survival stories get lumped together as well and makes it feel as one big cohesive story rather than Individual people and their individual experiences that created these stories. 

So a goal I'm setting for myself going forward reading these survivor stories. Is to look past the lumped up "generalized" story, to make sure I am hearing the voice of the individual person trying to express what they personally went through and witnessed. Not just the generalization of the slaughter that was the holocaust. 

Auschwitz: A Doctors Eyewitness Account

 Auschwitz: A Doctors Eyewitness Account  By Dr. Miklos Nyiszli

I have been studying the holocaust for many many years and have read a lot of books written by survivors telling their stories. But I have never read a story quite like this one. Dr Miklos was a Hungarian jew that was sent to Auschwitz with his wife and 15 year old daughter. But instead of being sent to the gas chamber or to the work side of the camp. He was hand picked by the nefarious Dr. Mengele to work along side him at the crematoriums dissection room. His story is one that brings even more fresh new horrors to the Nazi atrocities that occurred during World War II. But as horrible and hard to read as these survivors stories are. It is important to read them, know their stories and remember these people as well as know what really happened. So in the future ,we may be able to do our best to prevent history repeating itself in such a gruesome and atrocious way. 

The Crown

 

The Crown By: Kiera Cass

This is the final book in the series and I have really enjoyed reading this whole series. This is one of the books that you feel as it gets closer and closer to the end. You are constantly wondering how in the world was everything going to be wrapped up with so little book left. Then the author does an amazing job at wrapping up everything in a pretty little bow.

This book had so many twits and turns and its funny because when something "came to light" it was like an oh yeah moment for me. Like a puzzle piece that's always been there but it was just hard to see the picture till you were finally able to set it in the right spot. then everything becomes clear. I know this review is a metaphor riddled catastrophe. But honestly this is the only way I feel I was able to express this book other than the simple, generic and boring, "It was great I really loved it". 

This is a series that sometime in the future I could see myself thinking about again then realizing I couldn't remember some details and would want/have to revisit. SO i guess in a way you can say that this series has become a good friend and I cant wait to revisit this old friend again in the future.