There’s an old quote that the world is a book, and those who don’t travel read only one page. I quite agree, but I have my own little spin on it — that those who don’t read live only one life. 

I can’t imagine how much less rich my life would be if I’d only lived in this time and space. Because of books, I feel like I’ve gotten to live in Henry VIII’s court, been chased by lions in the Colosseum, the list goes on…!

I recently read an excellent summer reading book called Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, and it opened my eyes to a specific period of history I didn’t know much about. If it’s on your summer reading list, I highly recommend it!

It’s a World War II book, and it largely centers around Operation Hannibal and the sinking of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff.

Sometimes, when books have such a good plot, the characters or writing quality suffer. Neither happened here. The plot, characters, and writing were all phenomenal!

Learn more about Salt to the Sea in episode 29 of the Vocabbett podcast: