What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Before the 1980 Miracle on Ice, there were the boys in the boat at the 1936 Olympics.  This was a really wonderful book about the working-class college students who captured the hearts of millions during The Great Depression by excelling in an elite sport and claiming Olympic victory in front of Hitler's Germany.  

Focusing mostly on one team member, Joe Rantz, it was truly a come from behind story in every sense of the phrase.  Rantz suffered at the hands of an emotionally abusive step-mother and a father who, though he loved his children, didn't stand up to his wife.  Joe was abandoned at the age of 15, but had the spirit and strength of character to live on his own, foraging for food, staying in school, and working to be able to attend the University of Washington where the rowing team was a means of being able to complete his education.

I bought the 'young readers' adaptation which I had gifted to Diego and borrowed from him after he completed it.  It fulfills the 'book that has been on your to-be-read list for way too long.'  I finished it Sunday, and was thrilled to be able to return it to its owner after having kept it for an eon.

Now I'm on to...

The Search by Nora Roberts

  

A friend sent me this one after she visited in December.  The main character is a dog trainer, and I think after spending time with Rudy, said friend thought I could use training tips in any form I could get them.  Actually, it does give some good instruction.  :)  I'm about one third of the way into it.

This one will fulfill the 'book by an author who uses a pseudonym' category of the 2017 reading challenge.  Though this isn't one of her books written under her pseudonym (JD Robb), the challenge doesn't specify that the book had to be one written under a pseudonym, only by an author who used one.  And I've already read another book which was written under a pseudonym this year, but I ended up counting it under another category.