The Pianist: The extraodrdinary story of one man's survival in Warsaw, 1939-45 by Wladyslaw Szpilman

The Pianist is about a Jewish man named Wladyslaw Szpilman. Wladyslaw Szpilman was a pianist and had worked in the Polish Radio. This book describes how he survived in Warsaw from the beginning of the occupation of Poland to the very end of World War II. He recounts his story with astoundingly specific details from his last meal with his family to his thought process when he was in hiding.

I thought that this book was very interesting but very sad. When I read this book I could easily picture what he was going through at the time and was able to have some insight of the heartbreaking story of all the Jewish people across Europe. I would recommend this book to people that are interested in World War II and that are curious about the conditions of the Jewish people during this time.

Wladyslaw Szpilman

Wladyslak Szpilman was born in Sosnowiec, Congress Poland, Russian Empire. He had two sisters and one brother. He attended the distinguished Academy of Arts in Berlin. He later worked as a pianist and composer for the Polish Radio. He was a survivor of the Holocaust and was able to escape the grasps of the Nazis many times. He published a memoir that recounts his survival story of the Holocaust. He had also co-written a nonfiction book with well-known author Jerzy Waldorff called The Death of a City. He married Halina (Grzeznarowski) Szpilman and had one son with her. Wladyslak Szpilman later died in Warsaw, Poland on 6 July 2000 at the age of 88. After his death the Polish Radio Studio 1 was renamed to Wladyslaw Szpilman in his commemoration.

Sara Zarr

Sara Zarr was born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 3, 1970 but she was raised in San Francisco. She had an Evangelical Christian upbringing which inspired one of her books. She attended San Francisco State University and obtained a degree in communications. Story of a Girl is her first novel and it was published in 2007. She has also published four other books for young adults called Sweethearts, Once was Lost, The Lucy Variation, and What we Lost. She and her husband now live in Salt Lake City, Utah.

How to save a life by Sara Zarr

It's been 10 months since Jill's dad died. Jill was overwhelmed with grief when her father died since he was the parent that she was closest. She has her own routine; go to school, go to work and then come home and do the same things the next day. After her dad died she pushed away all of her friends and was also able to drive her boyfriend away.
Until now Mandy has only known her mother's lifestyle. Her mother has always had dreams of settling down with a man that will make her rich. Mandy never really had stability in her life. Her mother was always present but taught her to do vain things. Suddenly, Mandy gets pregnant and decides to leave home and find someone to adopt her baby.

What will happen when Jill's Mom decides to adopt Mandy's baby and let Mandy stay with them until her delivery? Jill thinks that her mom is making a rash decision. But, will Mandy's carefree personality be able to get along with Jill's routinely attitude?

This book had many cliff-hangers right from the beginning and is able to portray the lives of two very different girls. Jill who has always gotten everything she wanted and was very loved especially by her father until her father passes away. On the other hand Mandy has always felt neglected since her mother makes it very clear that she never intended to have a child. I think that it was very creative how the author was able to intertwine their stories together and to create a unique novel.

Crissa-Jean Chappell

                  

Crissa-Jean Chappell was born in Miami, Florida in the 1980s where she grew up. She attended the University of Miami and attained a PhD and MFA. She was the last of five children and practically grew up as an only child. She had two sisters and two brothers. As a child she was very creative and was very imaginative. So far, Crissa-Jean has published three books: Total Constant Order, Narc, and More than good Enough. She now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Narc by Crissa-Jean Chappell

Narc by Crissa-Jean Chappell is about a boy named Aaron Foster. In his senior year Aaron is pulled over with his sister because he was speeding. The officer pats them down to make sure that they don't have any illegal substances on them. To Aaron's surprise his little sister is found with marijuana on her. The police officer gives Aaron a deal that will keep his sister from undergoing any consequences. The deal is that Aaron can either go to jail for drug possession or he can help the police officer find the prime drug dealer who sells at Palm Hammock High School and bring him down. But as Aaron tries to find the drug dealer he is faced with a decision that could change the lives of his newfound friends.

In my opinion, this was a really interesting book because it is a story about a boy that risked almost everything to protect his little sister even though it could impact his life in many different ways. I thought it had a really good plot twist and was very original. It had many cliff hangers along the book and didn't have a stereotypical ending which is one of the reasons why I liked it.

Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas

I think someone would want to read this book because of its captivating story. This book is about a teenager who gives up on school and then he is told to choose between going to summer school and writing an essay to graduate from High School. I liked this book because of its detailed narration and emotion on what was happening in that moment.