The Nuremberg Interviews: Leon Goldensohn

This book was comprised of the notes taken during personal psychiatric evaluations of the people tried at Nuremberg. It was surprising that many of the people tried and sent to prison were merely generals, translators, and other professionals that had nothing to do with the extermination camps. Of course I am seeing it in hindsight. It was interesting to learn that the Russians were the ones asking for a trial, not the British and Americans. The Germans on trial thought the trials would make martyrs out of them and create an environment where the Germans would hate the British and Americans, but that didn't happen.

Flat Broke with Two Goats:

This was a cute book that at first seemed to haphazardly jump from topic to topic, but the further along you read, you realized the book was about finding meaning in you life, similar to the book. Heartwarming.

Marie Antoinette: Helene Delalex

This was a large hardback book filled with paintings of Marie Antoinette and family as well as things in Versailles that were hers. The story told of Marie's increasing unpopularity with the French and how she became the queen they needed at the end of her life. The one thing I never find an answer to I what happened to their daughter, their one remaining child.

Blacksad: Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido

This graphic novel follows John Blacksad, a detective for the police...and a cat. He solves kidnappings, deals with racism and Nazis and keeps the book interesting. The illustrations are really cool.

The Last Survivor: Timothy Ryback

A little unfocused, this book was mostly about the city of Dachau and how the stigma of having the first concentration camp has affected the city 50 plus years later. The residents take their children to Munich to be born so they won't have Dachau on their birth certificates and get their cars registered there too because it you drive to another city with Dachau plates you are harassed as "jew killers". The book also searched for some confirmation that Martin Zaidenstadt / Mjetek Zaideta was in the Dachau concentration camp as he claimed to be because parts of his story seem off and he is not in any of the registries. Martin goes to the crematorium daily to tell his story to the tourists and makes a little money from tourists who don't know what to say. The Author wants Martin to be the real thing and not a con artist, but gets downhearted when he can't confirm anything Martin tells him. Until one day he learns of the village of Jedwabne and the barn burning of their jews by the townspeople. He then finds a photo of Martin's father, the grain dealer. All other documents seem lost as the townspeople burned them too. In the end Martin admits he lost his wife and daughter to the fire and breaks down. The author realizes the screams Martin hears from the gas chamber are probably the hauntings of his family at the barn burning.

Glitter: Aprilynne Pike

An interesting teen book about a girl who sets her sites to far and her fall. Danny is born into the Sonoma Versailles life, which is a modern take over of Paris Versailles by a powerful company that names themselves king and queen. Danny is set to marry the young king due to blackmail on her mother's part because they witnessed the king murder a young girl. Danny starts selling drugs as a way to fund her escape, but after her drugs kill her mother and best friend, she realizes the cost has been to much and she must escape only she gets taken back to the place for her marriage.

Pegasus Bridge: Stephan Ambroise

This was the story of the WWII capture of Pegasus Bridge and other bridges by the Allied forces.