City of Thieves by David Benioff

from goodreads

4 stars

Well here is my last post for the week. My to post review list has gotten smaller. Unfortunately my reading pile has gotten bigger and I fear my to post review list will get big once again. Oh well, I'm sure that isn't the worst problem to have.

While my husband sometimes think I have a reading addiction, and perhaps I do, it is more than just some mindless need to read. I read because there are stories out there that need to be read and not forgotten. There are stories out there that will help change my life for the better and make me a better more thoughtful person. There are stories out there that will challenge my thoughts and beliefs so I can be more secure in who I am and what I think. There are stories out there that I need to amuse me when I am feeling blue. There are stories out there to help me get lost in a beautiful world of enchantment and wonder. There are stories... and we need stories.

Why do you like to read?

Synopsis

Lev and Koyla are spared execution in Leningrad (during the WWII seige) to go on a quest to find a dozen eggs for the Colonel's daughter's wedding.

My Thoughts

I loved this story. For a WWII book set in Russia this was a fun entertaining and at times light read. Through the ridiculous you get to see the darker side of being in a city and area that is cut off and feeling desperate.

In this book you get a deeper appreciation for life. How it can be good and yet fleeting. There are always haves and have nots. There are different kinds of power at work. During tough times everyone has different ways of coping. All these concepts were brought out in a way that didn't make you have to go too deep. It was nice.

Some of the banter between Lev and Koyla got a bit grating at times. I think it might have been because I really didn't care about Koyla's sexcipades. It just isn't my thing. If it is your thing than you probably would love it.

This story had a sort of Forrest Gump quality in the sense that if it was happening in and around Leningrad at the time they managed to find their way into it. I liked that we were able to see all these aspects of the war, but it was a bit hokey how everything happened to happen when they were there.

All in all I really loved this story. I liked the characters. I liked the whole premise of having to find eggs. I just really really liked this book. It is definitely a must read.