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Most people tend to pick up reading around the New Year. Reading for me is like a detox for the brain. It feels good to put the phone down and grab a book. It is one of the reasons why I prefer actual books to ebooks. There is something about holding a book and turning a page the just feels right. Here are some recent reads that I’d recommend along with a book I am looking forward to reading.
Midnight in Chernobyl - I have always been fascinated with the Chernobyl incident. I knew it was a nuclear disaster, but not much more than that. This book does a nice job of explaining how nuclear plants and radiation work to those with little understanding of the science behind it. And for those with advanced nuclear degrees, it provides specifics that I am sure you would enjoy. It turns out that they were running a long overdue safety test on the reactor when it failed. The leaders of the Soviet party did everything they could to try and cover the disaster up. If they had simply acted early and evacuated as soon as possible, it could have turned out differently. The reactor to this day is still somewhat unstable. It was one of the main reasons for the fall of the Soviet Union and has hurt their relationship with neighboring countries. Kind of frightening that is happened not too long ago.
Ghost Soldiers - Yet another WWII book. If you enjoyed Unbroken (which is incredible), then you will love this. The US surrender at Bataan was a low point. The US troops were cornered and were running low on supplies. They ended up surrendering and became POWs. As you an imagine life in a Japanese Prison Camp was no walk in the park. In a last ditch effort to get some men back, the Army Rangers put together a group of men to go on a secrete mission to rescue prisoners. It was an operation that had a one in a million chance of success. Yet, they were able to pull it off. The book is no for those with a weak stomach as some of the scenes are quite graphic. War is hell, and this book proves it.
Dust Off the Bones
Dust Off the Bones - I have never been so eager to read a book. Last year I read Only Killers and Thieves, and it was one of the best books I’ve read in a while. Paul Howarth is a new author and he knocked it out of the park with this debut novel. The way it was written, the story, the setting, the characters, all of it worked. It takes place in the Australian Outback and follows to brothers who own some land. There is quite a bit of history that catches up to them and the twists and turn all just work well. I have been checking to see if he was working on a new book and I finally found it. Dust Off the Bones is a sequel to the story. It comes out in June and I already have it pre-ordered.
Let me know what you’ve read, and what you’re looking forward to in the comments below!