Only a week and a half into the month and I have some books to share with you. Some I finished in the last 4 days and the Jim DeFede book I started the end of July. Lots going on here but mostly I am inside because of extreme temperatures, so reading is my go-to for entertainment.
The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede
This nonfiction was a fast read. I had no idea about the coordination involved getting scores of planes to land as quickly as possible, steering clear of U.S. airspace after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. After a certain point crossing the Atlantic from Europe a pilot could turn back and return to their original airport or make that decision to push on. Unbeknowst to the pilots, they would be stranded in Canada for many days, with uncertainty about moving on to the original destinations.
Imagine thousands of unscheduled flights finding an airport in Canada. This book focused on Gander in Newfoundland, the many passengers from all over the world. The people of Gander coming together to provide food, towels, linens and cots, opening their homes to strangers to give them a place to shower or to stay with them instead of a makeshift shelter. The spirit of community is a credit to the people in Gander and I wish more people around this conflicted world could be as kind.
There are may reviews on this book and many quotes already but the individual stories about where some came from, friendships made and the back story on handling such as unexpected large scale event made for fascinating reading. You'll read about a few families returning to the US after many weeks traveling to Kazakhstan with their adopted child, a couple who are worried about their NYFD son who is missing while on duty at the towers, refugees, and so many more personal stories. 5 stars.
The Atlas of Abandoned Places
Places I will never get to and some I would love to see. What a cool book. In addition to the locations, including latitude and longitude, there is history and many photos. Here is an example below 👇 As you can see from the photo they estimate roughly 750,000 of these garden shed sized bunkers all over Albania. Many are completely abandoned but some have been repurposed as museums, storage for livestock feed and more. They are from the Cold War era.
They look like they belong in a Star Wars movie. What a fascinating sight this must be along the Kent coast in England.
Currently finishing up the Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. Wow, what a page turner. I need more of her books but I wonder if any of the others can top this one.
Next up I plan to read another off my Classic Club list, The Quiet American by British author Graham Greene. That's the plan anyway but you never know when a different book will lure me away.
