Bel Pino

"Books can change your life. Some of the most influential people in our lives are characters we meet in books." —David McCullough

Pino Lella is an influential person in my life. Rachel raved about him last year in one of many sparkling conversations we had about books. Are we book nerds or what? Yes, yes we are. But if you’re being honest with yourselves, chances are you love a nerd. (Think Sheldon, Liz Lemon, and Ross—oh, and don’t forget my personal favorite, Dwight Schrute.) But I digress. Since Rae is the consummate book recommender, I made haste and read Beneath A Scarlett Sky only to meet one of my favorite war heroes. Ever. 

Pino Lella, an Italian teenager full of adrenalized energy and charming dreams, was forced to put his aspirations on hold in the wake of the Second World War. His parents sent him to the quieter, safer countryside to save him from potential death. But Pino wasn’t content to sit idle during one of the world’s greatest atrocities. Instead, the seventeen-year-old opted to smuggle Jews out of Nazi-ridden Italy when he joined forces with the Catholic Church as part of the Italian resistance. I didn’t realize that nearly 20 percent of the Italian Jewish population was exterminated during Hitler’s regime—Sullivan’s story opened my eyes to the expansiveness of the Carpet-eater’s reach. Lella saved hundreds of Jews at his own peril. That story alone is heroic. The fact that the Italian boy later spied on General Hans Leyers, a Commander focused on weapons development (and the man responsible for slave labor in Italy to keep the German war machine going), adds to his remarkable true story.  

I’ve never met a war hero I didn't like, but Pino was especially endearing. I will read his inspiring story again.  And I’ll be the first in line to watch Hollywood’s rendition of his fascinating contributions to thwart the war effort. I’m in complete agreement with best-selling author Joseph Finder: “Beneath A Scarlet Sky has everything—heroism, courage, terror, true love, revenge, compassion in the face of the worst human evils. Sullivan shows us war as it really is, with all its complexities, conflicting loyalties, and unresolved questions, but most of all, he brings us the extraordinary figure of Pino Lella, whose determination to live con smania—with passion—saved him.”   

Posted by Tracy

Still Doin' the English Major Thing

"Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you." Carl Sandburg

Help, we've fallen and we can't get up! I honestly don't know what's become of us. Other people are spending my coin (and I'm pretty sure Rachel's too). I'm outta change people! But I've got a pocket full of resolutions, some revolving around our fabulously floundering blog. Not to worry, we're still reading. And we have plenty of good books to rave about. I've just finished my first William Golding novel. (Yep, I'm still doing the English major thing.)

I didn't read Lord of the Flies, Golding's most famous work that has been praised as "one of the most important novels of the 20th century." It wasn't my choice for the same reason I failed to read it decades ago for high school English—because funny guy and close friend of mine, Dave Rucci, wrote "Piggy dies by a rock" on the title page of my book. It still makes me laugh out loud to this day to think of it. Besides, Benedict Cumberbatch narrated The Spire. Can we just pause and have a moment of silence for Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch please? He could read legal briefs out loud and I'd probably swoon.

I guess it goes without saying that I thoroughly enjoyed Cumberbatch's reading of "William Golding's 1964 novel about the building of a spire...a study of bringing the near-impossible into being. [Golding's] writing is no less miraculous." If you like literary books that are rich with metaphor and require analysis to gain greater insight and understanding, this will be a fantastic listen for you. As for me, I'll commit to any novel read by Mr. Heart-me-snatch. I have yet to discover a finer audiobook narrator. (That's your cue to say, No Sheet Sherlock!)

Posted by Tracy

Last Minute Gifts for Book Lovers

If it wasn't for last minute, nothing would ever get done.

It's December 14th and I just started my Christmas shopping. Don't panic for me, I do a mean last minute. For those who don't already have Christmas wrapped up and under the tree, here are some great gift ideas guaranteed to please the book lovers on your list. Feel free to wrap a few up for yourself as well...from us to you. Merry Christmas.

P.S. Don't forget to check out our holiday gift guide to find the perfect book for everyone on your list.

If you want this one by Christmas, act fast. As in order it today.

No quitters here. We're swooning over these bookmarks. And pretty much everything in Carrot Top Paper Shop.

Wouldn't we all? Every book lover needs a copy of this lovely book.

We can't get enough of these novel journals by Canterbury Classics. There's a whole slew of them to choose from and Amazon will have them to you in two days. Procrastinators rejoice.

Truth. You can order this up as a book bag, throw pillow, poster, tee shirt or sweatshirt. So much book happiness.

For the superwoman in your life.

Every Austen fan needs one of these.

We'll take one of these please.

We're officially in love with Frostbeard Studio. So many book scents...you might need them all. 

Dog and book lovers unite! This one's also available book bags, shirts, and more.

A pair of these will keep 'em cozy while they're curled up with a great read.

For fans of the boy who lived.

Guilty as charged. Looks like there's one day left to order this up for Christmas.

Another excuse to stay home with a good book. As if we needed one. Order this one fast if you want it by Christmas.

For those who love things a little strange...

We Are Here

"The first indication that we are killing our dreams is lack of time." —Paulo Coelho

I’m killing my dreams.  I’m pretty sure Rachel is too. Because we’ve both had a serious lack of time. Rae went and got a grown-up job with adult responsibilities. And I can’t say no to aspiring college applicants despite two jobs of my own. December 1 can’t come soon enough, when current deadlines evaporate and a semi-regular sleep schedule reappears. (That’s pure optimism by the way as December is one of the busiest, late-nightiest months of the year.)

Anywho, I just wanted to pop in and say, “We are here! We are here! We are here!” We’re working into the languid hours on this year’s holiday gift guide. (Rae is anyway.) We have no intention of leaving you high or book dry this Christmas when it comes to indulging the booklovers in your life. May as well start now since December is just 15 minutes away. For the love of Lit, check out these recommends for your favorite bibliophile. 

Posted by Tracy

We're Horrible at Book Club

“Being a parent makes you feel like a blanket that’s always too small. No matter how hard you try to cover everyone, there’s always someone who’s freezing."

Time to raise the white flag. Turns out Tray and I are as bad at virtual book club as we are the real deal. I'll admit I winced a little when I looked back to see what month we read Beartown: May. May! Pretty much sums up my blogging proficiency as of late. Blame it on my new day job, my Inspector Gamache obsession, the new season of Stranger Things, or all of the above and more. Bottom line is there's been some serious slackin on my part around here and it's high time I share some of my favorite reads and maybe, just maybe, catch up on book club. A girl can dream.

Back to sharing favorites...and Beartown just happens to be one of them. I won't sugarcoat it here: this is a hard book to read. Fredrik Backman has never been one to shy away from hard topics and this book is chock-full of them: sexual assault, surviving the death of child, the pressures that come with playing and coaching big sports in a small town, and the courage it takes to do the right thing when things go horribly wrong. Throw in some locker room chat that will make you rue the day you signed your boy up for high school sports, and you might even be tempted to stop reading. I was...and I did—a few times, actually. Sometimes the best books are the ones that get under your skin.

Kirkus reviews sums it up beautifully: “Backman is a masterful writer, his characters familiar yet distinct, flawed yet heroic....There are scenes that bring tears, scenes of gut-wrenching despair, and moments of sly humor....A thoroughly empathetic examination of the fragile human spirit.” 

Posted by Rachel

What We're Reading Next

"Never miss a good chance to shut up." —Will Rogers

Rae and I have taken the past week or so to test Will Rogers’ advice. You probably imagined our silence was merely blogging inefficiency.  Can’t say that we blame ya…we’ve been flaggin’ in the face of full-time work.  What’s a girl to do?  We needed a longer vacay across the pond. London was thoroughly lovely—she invited us into half a dozen bookstores.  Naturally, we did some homework. We girls snapped several pics of books we want to buy and purchased plenty of Penguin English Classics, among others, that made our suitcases weighty and wonderful. Feels selfish not to share a few with you here.  

It’s no secret that I’ve been taking in WWII novels these days. While I’m currently listening to Benedict Cumberbatch’s captivating voice via audible, my next listen will definitely be The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan.  Kiernan is worth his salt, which is underscored by the fact that he’s an award-winning author.  His latest has been called “a dazzling novel of World War II—a shimmering tale of courage, determination, optimism and the resilience of the human spirit, set in Normandy village on the eve of D-day.” Reviewers have raved about this particular listen; needless to say, I’m all in. 

I’m kicking myself that I didn’t buy Lauren St. John’s novel The Snow Angel. It has been billed as a stunning Christmas classic, so it would be a timely read. I want to meet the girl from Nairobi.  Seems to me, though I have yet to meet Makena, that she endures tragedy well by experiencing the healing power of nature.  Some reviewers used the word magical to describe this book—sounds perfect for this time of year. 

Perfect is an overused term, I know. But when English novelist Philip Pullman notes that Tom’s Midnight Garden is “a perfect book,” my attention immediately piqued. I added the book to my mounting pile and had to put it back for fear my bag would bulge. But I promised myself that I’d introduce Luke and Jonah to Tom and Hatty before the year is through.  This Carnegie Medal winner is bound to please the boys. And their mother too. After all, I never miss a good chance to share an exquisite read or two.

Posted by Tracy

I Will Not Leave You as Orphans

“You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”  Samuel Johnson 

Because we love our families, Rachel and I were willing to leave London. We left part of our adventuring hearts in The Square Mile. Now we’re just pretending real life is as much fun.  We’re back to work—pushing pencils, sorting laundry, scrubbing dishes, and writing posts. (Rest assured, posts aren’t laborious like those other chores.) Of course, anything I say here tonight may not be used against me as I’ve got a slight case of the jet lag blues. 

The last book I read based on real events was not only fascinating, it was inspiring.  So I thought I’d try another true story on for size. This time the narrative was about a seven-year-old boy named Chellamuthu--he was ripped from a slum in India where his family lived, dragged to a Christian orphanage, and then sold to a couple in the States who live 10 miles away from me.  Like Crow and countless other orphans, Chellamuthu (renamed Taj by his American parents) felt the pull of his original home.  With next to no information, Taj attempts to do the impossible: find his family in a place where 1 in every 6 people on the planet live.  His remarkable story will stun you—it may even make you reconsider whether or not you believe in coincidences.  And I suspect you’ll likely end up agreeing with me and Taj as to who the real Orphan Keeper is. 

p.s. If you liked the movie Lion, you’ll love this book. 

Posted by Tracy