The Girl from Venice by Martin Cruz Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fast paced story of adventure, intrigue and love during the final days of World War 2, 'The Girl from Venice' was an interesting and entertaining read. Another reader descriptor the authors writing style as "sparse" and I would have to agree. There were a few action scenes that were difficult to follow, but overall the book had interesting characters and a few twists and turns to keep in interesting. The story follows Cenzo, a fisherman from a small village outside of Venice. When Cenzo finds a girl floating in the lagoon his adventure begins. Fans of crime fiction will like the plot and historical fiction fans will love the settings and minor characters. 'The Girl from Venice' is an interesting read.
I won this book through Goodreads' giveaway program in exchange for an honest review.
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America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Behind every successful man is a good woman. Most often we take that quote to mean a wife, but in this lengthy tribute to one of the great icons of American history we learn about the two women who each helped Thomas Jefferson to achieve great success, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson and Sally Hemmings. The book is told from Patsy's point of view. From their narrow escape of the British during the American Revolution to their first hand accounts of the rebellions and ultimate revolution in France, Patsy and her famous father are witness to some of the most iconic moments in history. The author is masterful at conveying the ambiguity of feelings surrounding slavery and its ties to the land of Virginia farmers. At 624 pages, it is a lengthy read, but the authentic language and vivid descriptions immerse the reader into the lives of Jefferson and his family. Patsy's relationship with her father was a lifelong struggle between her admiration and devotion to him and her own desires for independence. Patsy also struggles to accept her father's relationship with Sally Hemmings. Patsy serves in several roles for her father, both at home and his political life. In addition to Jefferson the story includes other notable figures like James Madison and his irrepressible wife Dolly, and the legendary french hero, Lafayette, and the author brings these historical figures to life with honesty and at times humor, to help the reader develop a new understanding of the country's earliest leaders. I highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction.
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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A.J Fikry is an interesting character, he is flawed and not entirely likeable, but there is something unique about him. The author does a tremendous job of introducing us to A.J. with all his quirks, and he ultimately becomes a very endearing character. This story looks at the themes of grief and loss as well as redemption and forgiveness, but it doesn’t labor over these themes in an obvious way. Each of the supporting characters add to the story, as they share a love of books and together they show us the importance of the people in our lives. As a self-confessed bibliophile I really enjoyed this book.
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The Mistress by Danielle Steel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lately I have been disappointed by her new releases, but "The Mistress" is a throwback to the more traditional style of writing that Danielle Steel fans are used to. 'The Mistress' is full of incredibly glamorous and completely unrealistic people who travel in the world of fine art and luxury yachts. The story was painfully obvious at times and the characters are shallow and stereotypical, but it is fun to vicariously spend some time in the world of the super rich. There is no better way to waste an afternoon than reading a Danielle Steel novel.
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