When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon , Kristina McMorris , and Susan Meissner

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful and tragic story of three nurses working with the U.S. military at the start of WW2. Assigned to the beautiful and tropical Philippines, three nurses become fast friends and in an instant everything changes. Japan invades Pearl Harbor and the very next day, the Japanese begin to bomb the Philippines changing their once paradise into a war zone. So many of the World War 2 era books explorer the European theatre of fighting, this was a unique look at the experience of nurses who find themselves in enemy territory of the Pacific theatre. The horrors of war and the unfathomable hardships endured by the POW's are the back drop of each of their stories as these three women deal with love, loss and the unimaginable horrors of war, all while their friendship helps to sustain them. 

This is a must read for all fans of historical fiction.

Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

 

Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I saw this book on a recommendation list and I am so glad I decided to read it. The author lays out an impeccably researched discussion of the myriad of ways our attention is being manipulated and affected by everything from social media algorithms to improper diet and lack of sleep. At times it can feel overwhelming because the problem is so vast, but knowledge is the key to solving anything and this book is full of knowledge to help understand the breadth and depth of the problem. I feel like this should be required reading for everyone, but especially parents.

The Wildwater Walking Club: Walk the Talk by Claire Cook

 

The Wildwater Walking Club: Walk the Talk by Claire Cook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again the ladies of the Wildwater Walking Club will entertain and inspire readers to get active as they 'Walk the talk'. Noreen and her friends Tess and Rosie are back at it, focused on reaching their daily step goals despite the brutal Massachusetts winter weather. Claire Cook has created characters that feel like visiting with old friends. Noreen is struggling with finding her path in love and in life, and daily walks with her friends Tess and Roise help keep her on track. As the trio decides on a fun impromptu adventure things don't turn out exactly the way they had planned, but of course they find a way to make the best of it.
This is a great book to start off your new year on the right foot and 'walk your talk'.

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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book, it started well with two interesting characters who captured my attention, but then very quickly the story took a strange turn; one of the main characters is killed off and this is where I felt the story went off the rails.
The book is centered on Elizabeth Zott, a chemist, who faces challenges and struggles both professionally and personally. Elizabeth is an uncompromising scientist, but as a woman in the 1950's she is not respected, and often taken advantage of. Out of necessity, Elizabeth winds up hosting a daily cooking show that she turns into a chemistry classroom, teaching not only chemistry but also self-esteem to her many female viewers.
There were parts of the story that I enjoyed, especially the way the author included the viewpoint of the dog, but overall I felt the story was chaotic.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advance reader copy of this book.

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The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

 

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Historical fiction at its finest, this incredible story includes mystery, murder, betrayal and revenge all set among some the finest works of art in the world.

Lillian, also know as the renown model Angelica, hiding from a mistaken accusation of murder finds herself in front of bossy and difficult Helen Frick, who believes that she is there for a job interview. Miss Lilly begins to work with Miss Helen in the Frick residence, and she finds herself surrounded by secrets and lies.

Two timelines, from 1919 and 1966 intersect with an ending that merges the two time periods with a satisfying conclusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the characters were interesting, and likable, even the bullish Miss Helen. I highly recommend this book to all fans of historical fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advance reader copy of this book.

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Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos

 

Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this fun new book by Kelly deVos, angry teens at a fat camp in a massive blizzard and there's zombies, what's not to love. Basically the story feels like World War Z at a fat camp for rich kids, but the way the author pokes fun at stereotypes makes this YA book so much more. I really enjoyed it, except for the ending which definitely felt like the author was setting up the second book rather than resolving this story, but honestly I hope so because I'm sure I will like the next one too. This book is a perfect summer read.

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson

 

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting story about an Iraqi woman who struggles to deal with the infamous mukhabarat, the  secret police, when she gets a prestigious position as a secretary for the Australian Embassy. She is told to befriend the Ambassadors wife in order to get information, but Huda doesn't want to spy on her new boss, Ally. Huda fears for her son's safety and feels trapped by a dangerous and corrupt regime. Meanwhile Ally has her own secrets and her own reasons for coming to Iraq. Exploring the reality of living under the dangerous regime of Saddam Hussein, this book gives a glimpse of a lifestyle that few of us would otherwise know. 

I really enjoyed this story of friendship and the ties that bind us to our past.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I heard lots of buzz about this book so I decided to give it a try. I have never been a big fan of gothic novels and after reading this I can absolutely confirm that gothic novels are not for me. While the main character of the story is very likable, none of the other characters seemed to have any depth.  I found the story strange and pretty gross at times. The writing was well done, but the story dragged on and was repetitive at times and the ending of the story felt chaotic, rushed and pretty disgusting. I have now learned that I simply do not enjoy this genre of books.

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

 

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a very cute story, a perfect summer beach read. The main character Jesse is a single Mom who reluctantly signs up for a DNA matching service and is of course an almost perfect match to the one person who she dislikes. As she begins to fall for the handsome Dr. Pena it is fun to imagine the possibilities. My favorite part of the book is the incredible friendship between Jess and her best friend Fizzy. This book was lighthearted and fun, and a great escape.

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner

 

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am struggling to rate this story because although I enjoyed the writing, this story of two sisters as they grew was boring and so morose at times. The main characters, sisters Jo and Bethie both struggle to find themselves. Jo struggles with having feelings for other girls, but she winds up settling for a life with marriage and children. Bethie is molested by an uncle in her teens and struggles to overcome the damage done to her self-worth. Both girls are resilient and eventually do find their own way to happiness. My main challenge with this book is the length, and the fact that it is so steeped in sadness and conflict. Simply put this book was depressing to read. Unlike most stories with a clear story arc, this story simply followed the girls from adolescence to adulthood and through their lives. I typically enjoy historical fiction but this book just didn't hit the mark for me.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars

 

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this engaging book about a young woman named Yona who is raised in the forests of Eastern Poland. Yona is taken from her parents when she was only 2 years old and raised in the forest by a strange older woman who teaches Yona survival skills. When the old woman dies Yona is alone until she comes across a small frightened group of people hiding in the woods. This begins Yona's story of helping jews who have escaped from the Nazis. Yona teaches them about surviving in the forest and they teach Yona about living with other people. The author does a beautiful job of helping the reader experience what life is like in the woods.

If you enjoy WWII stories, this one is unique. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance

 

A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I struggled to read this book and I am also struggling to write a review that describes how I feel about it. I really enjoy historical fiction, and the backdrop of 1906 San Francisco makes for a compelling story, but there was just something about this book that didn't work well for me. The main character May is likable enough, but the entire first half of the book was constantly foreboding, alluding to some big mystery, it actually got very tiresome. The descriptions of the asylum and her treatment there were so brutal and graphic that I felt uncomfortable just reading it and had to rush through that section. The use of the earthquake as her chance to get free was well done, and here is where the author really shined. Her details of the smoke burning their eyes and lungs, the fear and desperation of people after the quake was realistic and compelling. After enduring everything that May went through, the ending wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped. Overall this book was mixed for me.

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly

 

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which follows three different women from three different time periods who all are involved with a very special garden. Each the women face challenges and struggles as they find their own way forward. In 1907 Venetia Smith is hired by the owners of Highbury House estate to design the gardens. Decades later, widow Diana Symonds is dealing with the loss of her husband and her estate has been requisitioned by the government to house a military hospital. She fights to protect her fabulous garden. In present day Emma is hired to restore the gardens, and she searches for information to accurately recreate the gardens, she she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden. This story was beautifully written, with stunning descriptions of the plants in the garden. If you enjoy historical fiction you will definitely enjoy this book

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café by Jodi Thomas

 

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café by Jodi Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A cute story, Breakfast at Honey Creek Cafe follows three men, well actually two men and one young man, as they find their love and their place in this sweet small town. The mystery of what happened to the Mayor's missing fiancé is the central theme, but the story lacks a clear focus. The missing fiancé is portrayed as a bad guy with no real foundation given. Mostly this is a cute little romance story with stereotypical characters. Read this story if you need a nice escape.

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and how it looks at the questions of fate versus the choices that we make. Are we truly meant to be with a particular person? Do we really have a soulmate?

The main character Hannah is really likable, and her friendship with Gabby is the kind of friendship that is enviable. The book quickly take a split between two timelines; one based on the decision that Hannah makes to go home with her ex-boyfriend from high school and the other decision where she doesn't and she is critically hurt in a car accident. The book flips between these two timelines, where we get to see the results of Hannah's decisions. While both timelines are played out to a logical conclusion, I felt frustrated not knowing which timeline was actually the one that happened. I preferred the timeline where Hannah winds up with Henry, the nurse who helped care for her. Overall I would recommend this book, it was a fun story and the larger questions that it brings up are also interesting to contemplate.

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

 

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When recent Irish immigrant Sophie agrees to marry the handsome widower that she met through an ad in the paper she thought that she had left all of her problems behind her. She instantly fell in love with Kat, the widowers silent five year old daughter but her new husband Martin remained distant and cool and incredibly secretive, locking his desk every day. Just as Sophie is beginning to see progress in getting Kat to trust her and begin to talk, Sophie answers the door to a strange pregnant woman looking for her husband. She shares information with Sophie that will change everything, and before Sophie and this strange woman can flee and escape the mysterious Martin, the earth begins to move and shake.

With the San Francisco earthquake as a backdrop, this intriguing mystery begins to unravel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

A Ship of Pearl by Adela Crandell Durkee

 

A Ship of Pearl by Adela Crandell Durkee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A beautifully written story about living through the Great Depression from the eyes of a twelve year old boy. Despite the many challenges and obstacles that this family faces, the main character Eldie continues to have faith and confidence in the future and a deep love for his family. I really enjoyed this book and I found the characters incredibly likable.

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism by Amber Ruffin

 

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism by Amber Ruffin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audio book version and the two authors share various stories and anecdotes from their past. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was extremely funny at times and yet also absolutely awful, realizing the crushing racism that these women face every single day, from small well meaning but horribly misguided comments to downright ugly and awful statements that are hurled at these women on a daily basis. The audio book included running commentary describing any picture that was included in the print copy that was also quite humorous. Reading this book felt like sitting at happy hour with some girlfriends, laughing and swapping stories, but sadly all of these stories are about the racism that BIPOC face every single day in this country. I would rate this book as 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Rose Code: A Novel by Kate Quinn

 

The Rose Code: A Novel by Kate Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this historical fiction story full of intrigue. The mysterious World War II enigma codebreakers of England had been sworn to secrecy but a spy in their midst changes everything. Friendships forged through the chaos and struggle of living through a horrific war were challenged to the breaking point. The author did an incredible job of creating three amazing woman who showed courage and bravery as they faced the horrors of war. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

 

Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this young adult novel about a girl named Jade who is trying to make something of herself. Jade attends a prestigious private school across town from her poor Portland neighborhood. Jade is a talented artist, making collages that reflect what she is feeling. As Jade tries to maneuver between her different worlds she struggles to find her own voice and discover her path to the future. The author does a beautiful job of helping the reader to see from Jade's point of view.  I definitely recommend this book.