"The Museum of Innocence"

This wonderful tale by the Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk, paints a beautiful portrait of Istanbul in the early 1970s. Describes the city, the nightlife, and the rituals to such an extent, you feel like you've been there. It's also the tale of a young man who has a torrid love affair with his cousin. When she marries someone else, he pines for her for years. Interestingly, the author assembled a detailed diorama for each chapter of the book as he was writing it. And as a result, he opened a fascinating museum which contains all the dioramas, each on a true piece of art. I was lucky enough to visit the museum last year--however it was before I had read the book, so much of it was lost on me. 

Mr. Pamuk also published a book titled "The Innocence of Objects" which includes photos of all his dioramas, historic photos, and explanations of how they relate to his story. Well worth owning, if you enjoyed his novel. 

"H is for Hawk"

Another work of non-fiction that I found fascinating. It's about a woman who deals with her father's recent passing by training a young goshawk. She describes in great detail the interesting world of falconry--both her dealings with her goshawk and the history of falconry. She also tells the story of T.H. White who, along with writing "The Once and Future King" also wrote "The Goshawk". It's a look into the private life of a troubled man. 

"The Boys in the Boat"

The cover pretty much sums up this wonderful book. It tells the story of a bunch of back country Washington state boys who end up at the University and on the crewing team. It focuses on one boy, Joe Rantz, but follows their quest to with the National Championship and ultimately, their bid to compete in the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany Berlin. I rarely read non-fiction, but I found this story infinitely compelling. I couldn't wait to finish it. At times, the action read like a fast-paced action flick. And he gives you a hint of what's to come of the horrors of Nazi Germany. What a well written, and well researched book.

I must confess, I've taken several rowing classes and own a rowing machine which I use almost every day. So I can relate to these rowers in a way. It is the ultimate workout.

 I predict, this will be turned into a movie in a year or two. But the book will still be better. I just wished Costco carried it!