Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I by Hazel Gaynor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this lovely book. The story is told primarily through letters that Evie sends to her brother Will and his best friend Thomas during The Great War. These letters start more formally, with every hope for a quick victory so the soldiers can soon return home, but as the war drags on, the letters become an important connection between the war front and the home front. As the letters progress it is clear that Evie and Thomas have strong feelings for each other, but the struggles of war are ever present. Through the letters we get to know each character and feel their pain of loss, their love of literature, and the unique positions they are each in as they endure this war to end all wars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction.
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Greece - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture by Constantine Buhayer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I picked out this book thinking that it was a simple guide for tourists, but it is actually a deeper look into the culture, history and customs of Greece and the Greek people. Although the information is interesting and even helpful at times, the author presents much of the information as absolute fact, when it is actually more opinion-based (which is something the author says is quite common in Greece). Despite not having the usually tourist info I was hoping for, I did enjoy hearing more about the personality of everyday Greeks and the author's suggestions for successfully navigating the social and cultural aspects of this wonderful country.
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Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I am a big fan of Liane Moriarty's books and I was excited to read her newest work, but sadly this new book was definitely not my favorite. The story idea is interesting, Nine different people who all come to a fancy health resort for a variety of different reasons attempting to change or improve their lives, but then things begin to get very strange and the owner of the health resort decides to challenge the guests to reach a higher level of transformation by locking the guests in a basement...and then things get really strange. Overall the story felt extremely odd and forced at times. There were too many characters so it took awhile to feel any genuine connection with them and the story itself took such strange and bizarre turns. I kept reading, hoping for the interesting twist that Moriarty often puts in her stories, but the events that unfolded were just too bizarre to relate to.
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