***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: library

Title: Salt to the Sea
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Series: Companion to Between Shades of Gray
Publisher: Philomel Books
Publication Date: Feb 2nd, 2016
Source: Borrowed from Library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.

WHAT I LIKED:

- The fact that it's based off of real history. Sometimes I get the urge to read these kinds of books, and it reminds me of how much I loved history class back when I was in school.

- I loved the different points of view. I was worried I would get bored reading this because of all the historical stuff, but the constant passing from one point of view to another kept me on my toes. And I love how seemless it was. It passed over at the exact right times. It's like she really thought it out before moving to the next character.

- There is a sinking boat. Not really a spoiler alert there.. History kinda lets you in on that before you pick up the book. I've had a slight obsession with sinking boat stories since the Titanic movie came out back in the day.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

- One of the Characters point of view. I won't say which one, but anyone who has read it will know. The guy is a total idiot. While I didn't enjoy his point of view, I understand why it was in there. That's really not a complaint though, more like a character preference.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

- I loved this book. I wish that I had read Between Shades of Gray first, but it didn't spoil the story for me at all. If anything, I'm itching to read that one now. My library has the Audio so I'll definitely give it a listen before the movie comes out.

About the author:

Ruta Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. As an author of historical fiction, Ruta is drawn to stories of strength through struggle. Her award-winning debut novel, "Between Shades of Gray" was inspired by her family's history in Lithuania and is published in 45 countries. Her second novel, "Out of the Easy" is set in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1950, and her third novel "Salt to the Sea" exposes one of the greatest hidden disasters of World War II. Ruta lives in a treehouse in the hills of Tennessee. Learn more on Michelle's blog....

Find Ruta:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Labels: Between Shades of Gray, library, Philomel Books, reviews, Ruta Sepety, salt to the sea, tragedy, Wolrd War II

Thank you to Gwen at the Book Lounge for tagging us to do the Library Lovers Book Tag. Here at The Starry-Eyed Revue, we are both big proponents of using the library! =)

How often do you visit your local library?

Jen: Well, I live in a town with a population of less than 2000 people, so we don't actually have a library. We share one with the town next door, though, and it's housed in the high school. Needless to say, it's quite small. So, awhile back when I visited my sister -- who lives in our state capital -- I made her take me to her local library to get a library card so I could access the capital's library system...which I do nearly every single day on their website. Sure, I can't check out physical books without resulting in a hefty fine since I only visit her every six months or so, but they have a TON of content available online.

April: Not very often. I went there to get my card, and then once afterwards. I'll go again when I have to renew. My library is in the heart of down town Jim Thorpe. It's very touristy and impossible to get a parking spot. So if you don't go on an off day, then you are gonna end up paying ten bucks to park in the overflow tourist parking section. So yeah, at that rate I might as well just buy a book instead of deal with the hassle.

I do however utilize my library often. They are set up on overdrive and I borrow audio books sometimes through there. That is the main reason I went down there to apply for a card.

Are you the type of person who checks out more books than you know you can read or are you someone who only checks out the exact amount of books you intend on reading before they are due?

Jen: When I was a kid, you bet I did. But seeing as how I can only check out books online -- meaning ebooks or audiobooks -- I find that it's a lot easier to limit myself to only a few at a time. More than manageable with the 21 day expiration of online titles, even with a checkout limit of 10 items at a time. I don't think I've ever had all ten out at one time, though now that Katie's getting interested in reading things besides what she's been assigned or what's already on her shelf, that may change. ;0)

April: I check out only what I plan on reading/listening at that time. Occasionally I've taken one out and not gotten to it, because I had it on hold, and when it was released to me I was neck deep in another, but usually I can contain myself.

How old were you when you got your first library card?

Jen: I remember that I was in first grade and that I checked out the same book -- Maurice Sendak's Chicken Soup with Rice -- six weeks in a row, so I guess I was 6 or 7. :D At this point, I can't even remember what the book is about, though Goodreads tells me it's a "book of months". I just remember that I loved chicken with rice soup and made my mom make it for me every time I wanted to read the book. I was a strange, strange child. But you probably already guessed that.

April: Hmmm, I guess 1st grade if you count the school library.But I remember being about 12 or 13 when my grandmother took me to the big library near her house. I was so thrilled when I got it. My brother and I used to spend the weekends at my Grams house, so I always looked forward to our weekly trips to the library.

Do you go to your library looking for a particular book or do you check out anything that peaks your interest?

Jen: When I go to the library website, it's usually for something in particular...to see if they've updated and added that new release to the queue yet or to download a hold that's ready. But when I don't have anything already in my queue and nothing I want is available, I go searching for titles that might interest me. Sometimes I find a real winner; other times, I end up with a dud. But at least I didn't have to pay for said dud. :P

April: I have a wishlist on overdrive, so I scan through it when I'm wanting to borrow something. Whatever is interesting me at the time and not already taken is usually the winner.

Do you use your library to check out just books or do you also check out DVDs, audio books etc.?

Jen: Books and audiobooks, mainly. I haven't looked into whether I can borrow movies via a device since I can't physically check out DVDs, but it hasn't been a concern since we have cable and Netflix in our house.

April: Like I said above, it's mostly all Audio and sometimes ebooks. If my Library was closer and not such a pain in the ass, I would take Aubrey to take out books regularly. She has her own card and a kindle, so I sometimes check out ebooks for her to page through. :)

From what section of your library do you check out a majority of your books? (YA, middle grade, adult, nonfiction.)

Jen: Definitely YA, with a smidge of middle grade and some adult thrown in when the mood hits me.

April: YA for sure.

What is your favorite part of using your local library?

Jen: Access to all of those books for free without ever having to leave the comfort of my house! I mean, if I had a local library to physically visit, it would probably be chatting up the librarian in charge of the young adult section. But I don't. So I can't. :(

April: The Audio for sure. I only have my Audible set up with one credit a month, so the library helps me spend less money.

Libraries rule!!!

Seriously. Libraries are the best. Even if I can't get much use out of mine, I still donate books to it when I'm done with them.

Anyone else out there a serious connoisseur of libraries? We're not tagging anyone specifically, but feel free to jump on this tag and share your love and expertise on all things library!