The Wright Brothers, written and read by David McCullough - biography, audiobook. McCullough is OK as a reader - sometimes his speech is a bit garbled (slurs or mumbles). Better though to read the print book, which includes lots of black-and-white photos and other images, as well as 33 pages of source notes, a six-page bibliography, a page of illustration credits, and a 10-page index at the end.
Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin - early reviewer, historical fiction. While I generally like Melanie Benjamin's books, this one is not a favorite. The novel is based on the real manager of the Ritz Hotel in Paris during the Nazi occupation of World War II (when the hotel was filled with Nazis), Claude Auzello, and his wife, American-born Blanche Rubenstein. Neither character is particularly likable, and their stories, told in third person, alternate and sometimes repeat.
Mischling by Affinity Konar - historical fiction?, audiobook - The audiobook reader, Vanessa Johannson, was excellent, and the audiobook includes an interview (albeit not a particularly insightful one) with the author. It's a Holocaust novel about twin Jewish girls who become part of Josef Mengele's experiments.
© Amanda Pape - 2019
