Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan

There must be something wrong with me. Everyone loves this book! It gets 4.5 stars on GoodReads! The story sounds riveting..... A young Italian teenager helps guide Jews over the mountains into Switzerland during WWII. And it's based on a real person who was interviewed by the author! Sounds like a winner doesn't it?

It reminds me a bit of Unbroken by Laura Hillebrand. Both books are based on true stories. And both authors had the opportunity to interview the "heroes" who overcame tremendous obstacles and yet somehow survived. Both men were brave and sacrificing. And when I read both of these books, I read them in disbelief. Yes, I think that in both cases, either the men themselves or the authors made the individuals into superheroes and completely unbelievable to me.

Yes, I do believe that Pino Lella did assist the Jews into making their way into Switzerland, and he risked his own life to do so. But the specific actions and the dialogue created by the author makes it seem over the top. This book needed editing. And then maybe more editing. Sorry. This is one of the few books that I just can't finish. - June

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

After a friend insisted I read this book, I finally got my hands on a copy. And I did enjoy the book... but perhaps not as much as my friend did. The novel does have some interesting characters. It's hard not to cheer for the protagonist, a young girl who lives in a swamp and when her family all desert her,  and she literally raises herself. Reading about her ingenuity and her determination is fascinating. She somehow manages to feed herself and with the help of a few kind people along the way, she starts to thrive and even become educated. She is very connected to the swamp, it's wildlife, and nature, and this is one of the many interesting parts of the book.

My only negative is the romantic part of the story. I'm not against a nice love angle in a book, but parts of the story read like a romance novel. I recommended this book to Carla because I think is takes place near the Outer Banks. And I recommend it to anyone who is interested in nature in that area of the country. - June