Non-Fiction

Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy by Larry Lofts, 940.54 L

Code Name Lise is the true story of Odette Sansom, a British spy operating in occupied France during World War II, who fell in love with her commanding officer, Captain Peter Churchill. In 1942, Odette’s British husband is off fighting and she leaves her three daughters behind to become a SOE agent and spy for her adopted country. Peter and Odette are eventually captured by the German secret police. The pair are sent to Paris’s Fresnes prison, and from there to concentration camps in Germany where they are starved, beaten, and tortured. No matter how bad it gets, Peter and Odette never give up hope, their colleague’s whereabouts, or their love for each other.

The author seamlessly weaves together the growing romance between Odette and Peter and their many missions which put them in the crosshairs of the secret police. Although non-fiction, Code Name: Lise contains all the elements of WWII spy thriller.

3.94 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon 

Queen Victoria:  Twenty-four Days That Changed Her Life by Lucy Worsley, (2019) B Victoria

Queen Victoria might be missing from the PBS schedule, but you can find her on the library shelves.  Drawing from Victoria’s own correspondence and other documentation of her life, Lisa Worley (Curator of the Historic Royal Palaces) recreates the 24 days in Victoria’s life that defined Victoria as a daughter, mother, widow, and sovereign.  I had a whole different impression of Victoria after reading it.

4.19 stars on Goodreads, 4.7 on Amazon

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction by David Sheff (2018) 362.299S

I do not typically read non-fiction. Not because I don’t respect the genre, but I find that at this age I enjoy reading for pleasure and escape. But this book got so much hype I couldn’t help but check it out. It was also an option on one for the Beanstack reading challenges in which I was participating.

Beautiful Boy is the true story of one man’s path alongside his drug addicted son. In fact, David’s preoccupation with Nic’s situation becomes an addiction in itself. While the story does discuss some of Nic’s thoughts and feelings; it is more focused on how the addiction of a family member affects the parents and siblings. I cried a lot reading how David took on the burden of assuming he had done wrong when raising Nic. I couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for David when he hit rock bottom of his co-dependency at the same time as his son with his addiction.

If you are not already a non-fiction reader, please take the time to read this one.

4.09 stars on Goodreads, 4.7 on Amazon

Doctor Dealer: A Doctor High on Greed, A Biker Gang High on Opioids, and the Woman Who Paid the Ultimate Price by George Anastasia and Ralph Cipriano (2020) 364.1523 A

This book is about endocrinologist James Kaufman, who couldn’t be satisfied with the extraordinary life he led. He had a thriving practice, the perfect house, the best cars, and an amazingly beautiful wife, April. It was the kind of life most people only dream of having.

On a warm spring morning James is at work when he gets a sudden feeling that something is wrong with wife. James calls the handyman who is scheduled to come to the house that morning and asks him to check on April. Moments later James receives a return call - the handyman has found April dead in the bedroom. James rushes home and when the police arrive, he appears to be a grieving husband. Yet looks can be deceiving and it is soon evident that something else is happening here. April’s daughter from another marriage instantly suspects her stepfather is responsible for her mother’s death. Only there is no concrete evidence. It will take a few years for the truth to come out.

That perfect husband and life were lies. James was later linked to embezzlement, biker gangs, and a drug ring that would lead to the truth of what really happened to April. While some justice will be served eventually, the real culprit would take his own life. This story tells how the truth does come out and shows just how far James went to keep his wealth and secrets away from his wife.

I found this book interesting and informative.

3.34 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon