Reviews: NIGHT by Elie Wiesel

A few participants read and reviewed Night by Elie Wiesel for the WWII reading challenge.  Here are excerpts; feel free to click the links to read the complete reviews.

Joanna from It’s All About Me said:

One of the things that struck me is that even in times of war human beings don’t really entertain then thought that something bad could happen to them. The Jews in the village where the author lived had heard rumors about the atrocities going on in the camps and about persecution everywhere. They even had actual evidence because of one their own had been taken away and had escaped and come back to warn everyone. And yet they still believed that the war would end just in time or that the Germans would never get that far or that they would somehow be more merciful in their village. Amazing thing, the human mind.

Sandy from You’ve GOTTA Read This! said:

This is a very short book – only 120 pages – but took me days to read. I had to put it down often. The prose is direct and factual, and lacks any in-depth character development. Despite this, I’m left with echoes of a young Polish boy who played his beloved violin to his death. Of hundreds of cries and moans of distress from the train cars, “a death rattle of an entire convoy with the end approaching”. Of a commandant telling young Elie not to worry about his dying father, that it is “every man for himself” and there is “no such thing as a father, a brother or a friend”.

Sumthinblue from Bookmarked! said:

Despite the brevity of the book (less than a hundred pages, in short chapters), the few hours I read it felt like eternity because it elicited so many emotions in me — disbelief at the horror that was unfolding in the novel and double disbelief that it actually happened in this world, incredulity at the capability of humans to cause the suffering of fellow humans, compassion for the victims, and admiration for the fortitude and faith of those who survived (and even those who didn’t).

**Attention participants:  Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: GUERNICA by Dave Boling

Michele from A Reader’s Respite read and reviewed Guernica for the WWII Reading Challenge.  Here’s an excerpt:

This is a character driven novel and Boling fills the novel with complex, rich characters, making the reader a part of the community. You feel as if you have known these characters all of your life…their joys are your joys, their pain is your pain.

You should be aware that the passage relating the actual bombing is, perhaps, one of the most intense scenes on paper.

Read the complete review here.

**Attention participants:  Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Reviews: SKELETONS AT THE FEAST by Chris Bohjalian

A few participants reviewed Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian for the WWII reading challenge.  Here are some excerpts; feel free to click the links to read the complete reviews.

Lezlie from Books ‘N Border Collies said:

Simply put, if this book doesn’t move you in some way, I’m pretty sure you have no heart at all.

Christina from Jackets & Covers said:

… [M]y greatest frustration stemmed from the abundance of holes in this novel; it could have used at least 100 more pages of narrative to cover the big chunks of time that went missing with each chapter.

Cheryl from Scrappy Cat said:

It was very thought provoking, raising such questions as how much did the average German citizen know about what the Nazis were doing and what could they have done about it.

**Attention participants:  Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: HITLER YOUTH by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Julie from A Small Accomplishment read and reviewed Hitler Youth:  Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti for the WWII reading challenge.  Here’s an excerpt:

This take on WWII was through the focus of the children of Germany. For me it was refreshing, satisfying, educational, terrifying, and heart-breaking. Though I have read dozens of WWII books, there were many things I had never heard about. There were also many photographs that were fascinating and beautiful and horrible.

Click here to read the entire review.

**Attention participants:  Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Reviews: COVENTRY by Helen Humphreys

It’s time to catch up in posting participants’ reviews!  Don’t you hate it when real life gets in the way of  your online fun??

Anyway…a couple of participants read and reviewed Coventry by Helen Humphreys.  Here are some excerpts, but feel free to click on the links to read the complete reviews.

Here’s what I wrote on my Diary of an Eccentric blog:

Humphreys‘ writing has a wonderful flow, and her descriptions of the bombs exploding and the buildings collapsing thrust you into the scene. Although there isn’t a whole lot of character description, I understood the characters and their motiviations, and I was wrapped up in their lives from the very first page.

Here’s what Jennifer from The Literate Housewife Review had to say:

The way in which this novel is constructed is near perfect. Through shorter chapters, we get to know Harriet, how she became a widow, her afternoon with Maeve, and why she remained in Coventry after her husband’s death. The night that the city was bombed by the Luftwaffe is all told within a single, long chapter. This structure works extremely well.

**Attention participants:  Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

BBAW Giveaway Winners

Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaways for Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

The winner of The Greatest Generation Speaks by Tom Brokaw is:

Emily

The winners of the 5 signed copies of Annie’s Ghosts by Steve Luxenberg for participants who have already completed the WWII reading challenge are:

Cheryl
Sandy
Nise’
Matt
Kathy

Congratulations and happy reading!

BBAW Giveaway for Our Challenge Participants

In honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, we’re holding a giveaway for challenge participants who have officially completed the WWII reading challenge by reading 5 books.  (When you signed up for the giveaway, we asked you to set a personal reading goal.  Those of you who have met that goal or will by the end of the year will enjoy some awesome end-of-challenge giveaways, so stay tuned!)

Courtesy of Hyperion Books, we have 5 copies of Annie’s Ghosts by Steve Luxenberg to give to participants who’ve already officially completed the challenge.  The best part about this challenge is that we’ve arranged to meet with Steve Luxenberg after his appearance at the Baltimore Book Festival on Sept. 27, and he has agreed to sign the books for the winners!

To learn more about Steve and Annie’s Ghosts, check out Anna’s interview at Examiner.com.

This giveaway is available to participants across the globe and will close on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 11:59 EST.

To enter, fill out this form.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2009 Giveaway

Everyone knows by now how humbled Anna and I were when War Through the Generations was nominated for Best Challenge Host and Best Challenge in this year’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week awards.

So I thought, while I was at my monthly library sale, I would look for something to offer our dedicated readers and commenters.  And did I find a good book for you in near pristine condition.  I’m sure you are anxious to know what it is, but I wanted to first share a quote from the introduction.

As I walked the beaches of Normandy on the fortieth and fiftieth anniversaries of D-Day, I first began to fully realize how they had shaped my life.  They were my parents and the parents of my friends, teachers, ministers, physicians, and hometown merchants, the men and women who showed me the way through their own exacting standards of hard work, sacrifice, and personal responsibility.  I began to understand how much I owed them.

From the first lines of the introduction, this book will hook readers with Brokaw’s reflections on The Greatest Generation and his own experiences during the Viet Nam War and more.

The letters and reflections within its pages are broken down by war stories, reunions, love stories, and more.  The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections has something for everyone interested in learning more about WWII from the average American.

If you would like to be entered to win a copy of this book, all you have to do is fill out the form below.  Deadline for entry is Sept. 18, 2009 at 11:59 PM.  This giveaway is international. Fill out this form.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2009, Get the Vote Out

War Through the Generations is calling on all readers to GET THE VOTE OUT for Book Blogger Appreciation Week.It’s time to show the love to all those blogs you’ve been reading that talk about books, the publishing industry, and more.

Ok, We have an ulterior motive.

War Through The Generations, this very reading challenge blog with its current WWII reading challenge is up for two awards–Best Challenge Host and Best Challenge.

Now, I know there are more than 90 participants, so get out there and vote for the Best Challenge Host and Best Challenge—War Through the Generations.

You’re probably wondering where you go to vote. Never fear, here’s the information:

Book Blogger Appreciation Week Voting

Voting ends on Sept. 12, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST.  Hurry and Vote!

Thanks to everyone for participating in the challenge.

THE APPLE by Penelope J. Holt Takes Look at Holocaust Hoax

The Apple by Penelope J. Holt, slated for release the first week of September, focuses on the Herman Rosenblat Holocaust hoax. You might remember Rosenblat as the Holocaust survivor whose memoir was a love story centering on a young girl who threw apples over the fence of the camp where his family was held captive. He claimed this young girl’s actions helped him to survive. However, it was revealed that the story of the girl with the apples wasn’t true.

In The Apple, Holt researches the Rosenblat story, detailing the things he witnessed during the war and aiming to determine the reasons why he embellished the facts. She pulls in other Holocaust resources from books like The Diary of Anne Frank to movies like Schindler’s List.

If you’re interested in The Apple, Lisa Kerber from York House Press says 5 signed copies are up for grabs. Here are the details:

**NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS BEING HELD ON THEAPPLENOVEL.COM. LEAVING A COMMENT ON THIS POST WILL NOT ENTER YOU IN THE CONTEST**

Share what you think is the most memorable piece of media about the Holocaust and why? (Books/Movies/Television/Article/Art)

And find out about the Book Giveaway of “The Apple” by Penelope Holt, based on the Oprah/Herman Rosenblat Holocaust Memoir “Hoax”.

Go to theapplenovel.com to learn more and post your comment.

Book bloggers, if you would like a link to your book blog from theapplenovel.com links page, just send an email to info@yorkhousepress or direct message yorkhousepress on Twitter.

Lisa says the giveaway is running through the month of September.