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Every week, The Thread checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment. This week, we spoke to Holly Brooks of 

The siege of Leningrad is just one of the horrors of World War II — but it was one Holly Brooks had never learned about before.

The Germany army surrounded the Russian city of Leningrad during the war, intent on starving the entire population to death.

The siege lasted over two years, during which more than a million people died. It’s in that starving and desperate city that David Benioff’s novel, “City of Thieves,” takes place.

“A Jewish teenager and a cocky Russian deserter are released from prison [in Leningrad] with the unlikely mission of returning with a dozen eggs to be baked into the wedding cake for the Russian commander’s daughter,” Brooks explained. “As they hike behind enemy lines, you’re made to feel the bitter cold of the Russian winter — and also the warmth of their growing friendship.”

“There is humor and heartbreak. It’s an exceptional and unforgettable book. … This book was recommended to me by a colleague, which is the beauty of a bookstore or a library: you get recommendations for books you would never think of reading.”

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The Thread® - Books and Literary News

Ask a bookseller

Tracy Mumford

Author

Bookseller Holly Brooks recommends a novel that follows two men desperately searching for cake ingredients in the middle of the siege of Leningrad. 

David Benioff may be best known for co-creating the 'Game of Thrones' television show, but his earlier novel 'City of Thieves' should not be missed.

A dangerous search for a dozen eggs

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