ESCAPE FROM CAMP 14

Author:  Blaine Harden

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2012

Personal Rating:  4.25/5 (very good +)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Blaine Harden

Yearly Count:  47

From Goodreads:

North Korea is isolated and hungry, bankrupt and belligerent. It is also armed with nuclear weapons. Between 150,000 and 200,000 people are being held in its political prison camps, which have existed twice as long as Stalin's Soviet gulags and twelve times as long as the Nazi concentration camps. Very few born and raised in these camps have escaped. But Shin Donghyuk did.

In Escape from Camp 14, acclaimed journalist Blaine Harden tells the story of Shin Dong-hyuk and through the lens of Shin's life unlocks the secrets of the world's most repressive totalitarian state. Shin knew nothing of civilized existence-he saw his mother as a competitor for food, guards raised him to be a snitch, and he witnessed the execution of his own family. Through Harden's harrowing narrative of Shin's life and remarkable escape, he offers an unequaled inside account of one of the world's darkest nations and a riveting tale of endurance, courage, and survival.

Whoa.  This was another eye-opener, even though I knew about North Korea's reputation.  Some of the story is beyond comprehension.  And, even though Shin is not very personable (understandably so), my heart still broke for him and all the other prisoners in that country.  

Thoughts of Joy

  

HONOR BOUND

Author:  Raffaele Sollecito & Andrew Gumbel

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2012

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Seth Numrich

Yearly Count:  24

Raffaele, a native Italian, meets an American student named Amanda Knox.  They immediately develop a relationship, but just as quickly are pulled apart by the devastating murder of Amanda's roommate.  They are accused and imprisoned.

I think I like Raffaele's telling better than Amanda's (Waiting to Be Heard), but that may have more to do with their personalities than the writing.  However, not enough to change my rating of the book.  I really enjoyed the narrator.

Thoughts of Joy

            

WAITING TO BE HEARD

Author:  Amanda Knox

Genre:  Memoir, Standalone

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Amanda Knox

Yearly Count:  21

Amanda travels abroad to study in Italy.  Her desire to learn the language and soak in the culture turns to a very limited environment . . . prison.  She was convicted of murdering her roommate.

This wasn't an edge-of-your-seat kind of book (mainly because I know the current status); however, it was told very succinctly and encompassing.  I was able to follow and understand everything she went through:  physically, emotionally and mentally.  

Thoughts of Joy

PRACTICE TO DECEIVE

Author:  Ann Rule

Genre:  True Crime, Standalone

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  3.5/5 (good)

Format/Narrator:  Audiobook/Anne Twomey

Yearly Count:  13

From NetGalley:

Nestled in Puget Sound, Whidbey Island is a gem of the Pacific Northwest; accessible only by ferry and the soaring Deception Pass Bridge, it is known for its artistic communities and stunning natural beauty. Life there is low-key, insular, and the island’s year-round residents tend to know one another’s business. But when the blood-drenched body of Russel Douglas was discovered the day after Christmas in his SUV in a hidden driveway near Whidbey’s most exclusive mansions, the whole island was shocked. A single bullet between his eyes was the cause of death, but no one could imagine who among them could plot such a devious, cold-blooded crime. At first, police suspected suicide, tragically common at the height of the holiday season. But when they found no gun in or near the SUV, Russel’s manner of death became homicide. Like a cast of characters from a classic mystery novel, a host of Whidbey residents fell under suspicion.

 I thought this was pretty good.  It was a little cumbersome with characters and side stories, but it wouldn't be a book if it were a cut and dry type of case, right?  Even though, the ending was a little anti-climatic, and it wasn't all that compelling, I still enjoyed the process of solving the crime.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with this eGalley.