Good Books: A House in the Sky

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At the start of last year I stumbled across the 50 book pledge. I made the pledge to read 25 books last year, not a huge goal for some people but it became difficult as I got back into the groove of school. I ended up reading 18 books in total (which personally I am very proud of). I love to read but sometimes life gets the better of me and I get so caught up in other things that I forget and have trouble making time for something I love. With all this being said, I have once again pledged to read 25 books this year - about two books a month. I think it is completely do-able but with my final semester of post grad starting up, I know I'll have some difficulty making the time. I think I can do it though - optimism!

The first book I'm including in this pledge is one that I started reading near the end of December and recently finished, called A House in the Sky. For those of you unaware I work at a bookstore, and while most of my time there is spent shelving and helping customers, some of my favourite moments are when people come up to me so passionate about a book that they end up giving me long lists of recommendations. This was one of those books, and it was right up my alley.

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A House in the Sky, by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett, is the memoir of Amanda Lindhout who at a young age was an avid traveller. Similar to myself, she worked hard at home and then spent her savings on exciting journeys all over the globe. After many years of travelling she decides to make her trips more profitable by becoming a freelance photographer in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and eventually, Somalia. The memoir follows her life as she is held hostage for 460 days with her friend Nigel and recounts the torment and torture they endure. The story continually stung me with the struggles of her captivity but pulls you along with her last traces of hope. As I quickly turned the pages, I had to remind myself over and over again that this was a piece of non-fiction, it read like a novel and pierced my heart with the constant longing for freedom. Despite the heartbreaking story, the book still leaves you feeling inspired and motivated to empower women and children across the globe. The book pledge is off to a good start with this one.