First line: “Sophia, let’s go,” I call out from the hall.
Summary:
Alice’s life is beginning to come back to normal. She has remarried
after the death of her first husband. She has two beautiful daughters
and a successful business. But when her husband, Nathan begins acting
strangely she turns to her best friend, Beth. As they talk about the
situation Alice begins to wonder who she can trust anymore.
My Thoughts: This by no means is anything groundbreaking or new to the genre but it was a lot of fun to read. It went by very fast and kept me interested the whole way. I liked how it was divided into sections for each of the women. We got a look into each of their lives and pasts which helps build up to the conclusion. I had so many theories flying through my head as I read. Each became more twisted with each passing page.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes a fun thriller. It is a perfect summer read!
FYI: Sandie Jones’ first book, The Other Woman, is fantastic as well!
Summary: Emily
Dawson has inherited a plantation on the island of Barbados from her
grandfather. When she arrives at Peverills it is far from what she
dreamed. After the slave uprising forty years before it has sat in
ruins. On the invitation of the Davenant family of Beckles, she and her
cousin stay at the neighboring plantation while Emily decides what to do
with her inheritance.
Forty years earlier Charles Davenant
returns home to run his family plantation, Peverills. The home he knew
as a child has changed and so have Charles’ views on life in Barbados.
As tensions rise on the island he must decide where he stands.
My Thoughts:
This is a what great family sagas are made of. Big family secrets with
dark turns around every corner. I loved the intertwining narratives and
how closely they connected. The characters are so well done. I went in
expecting to like some and hate others but Willig does a great job of
proving you wrong on your first impressions. I am not much for a romance
novel but this was a beautiful love story in the midst of so many
challenges.
And the history is fascinating. I had never read or
heard anything based on the island of Barbados so the storyline was
completely fresh for me. Lauren brings it to life. The heat, the smells,
and the lifestyles come through in her writing.
Summary:
Littleport, Maine is a small coastal town that spends half the year
catering to the wealthy visitors on summer vacation. The Loman family is
the richest and most prominent family in the area. One summer the
Loman’s daughter, Sadie develops a friendship with a local girl. They
become inseparable. As their friendship grows, Avery is brought on to
manage the family’s local rental properties and other business ventures
in town. Then one summer everything changes. Sadie is found dead. The
police rule it as a suicide but Avery feels like things do not add up.
Who could want to hurt Sadie and why?
My Thoughts: This
is a perfect read for summer vacations. It is set on a coastal town with
beaches, bungalows and bistros. While reading it I desperately wanted
to be sitting outside with a cold drink.
Miranda does a great
job a spinning a tangled web. The story jumps back and forth between the
summer Sadie died and the next one without her. But at the same time we
get glimpses farther back into Avery’s past as well. There seemed to be
so many possibilities for the ending. I was shocked by the big reveal
at the end. The last 50 pages fly by so fast. It was hard to put down.
FYI: My favorite Megan Miranda books is All The Missing Girls. It is fantastic. The story is told in reverse. You would think it would give away so much but it does not. Both of these books are perfect for your summer reading list!
Summary:
Blanche Auzello, the wife of the Ritz hotel director, is living a
beautiful life in Paris until June 1940 when the Nazis invade. They take
over the grand hotel and life changes drastically. Life under the
occupation becomes strained especially for Blanche who is hiding a
secret that could potentially harm her and those she loves. However, she
and her husband are determined to do what they can for France and the
staff of the Ritz, even if it means their lives are forfeit.
My Thoughts:
I am a big fan of Melanie Benjamin. Her novels are always very
interesting and filled with fascinating women. I had never heard of
Blanche or her husband before picking up this novel. It sounds like life
in Paris was very tense during the occupation but not nearly as bad as I
imagined it would be. It seems as if people continued to live life as
normal as possible during those years.
Melanie Benjamin at Watermark books on May 28, 2019.
One of the issues I had
with the story was that it seemed to almost center on her husband,
Claude, rather than her. He references her often and thinks about her
during his chapters but he almost takes over the narrative. And
strangely I enjoyed his storyline more than hers. He could be a jerk but
his story was more interesting except for when Blanche was with her
friend, Lily.
FYI: Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn’s book, The Alice Network.
First line: I’ve a thief to thank for finding the one person I need to see before I die.
Summary:
Elise Sontag, a fourteen year old girl from Iowa, has her life turned
upside down when her father is arrested on the suspicion of being a Nazi
sympathizer. Her family is sent to an internment camp in Texas where
she meets her best friend, a Japanese girl named Mariko. They spend
several months together before Elise’s family is deported back to
Germany. In the hopes of keeping their friendship alive the two exchange
letters but it is difficult with the ongoing war. However, Elise keeps
up hope that after the war ends she will be able to return to America
and see her best friend again.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. The last several books have not been as good as Secrets of a Charmed Life which was my first book I read by Susan Meissner. It is a topic that has not been talked about much and it could be because it is embarrassing but it is our history and we need to acknowledge it. And learn from it too. I cannot imagine how shocking it would be to have everything taken from you and being forced to live in basically a prison. Then to be sent back to a land that they had left or never even lived before. Especially with a war on and cities are being heavily bombed. How do you rationalize that?
The time spent in camp was actually a very small part of the book. Most of it took place in Germany after Elise’s family is repatriated. I liked listening to her story as she navigates this foreign land in wartime. She did not speak German which put her in a tight spot since the Germans were at war with America. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a story set during World War II.
FYI: Definitely check out Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner.
First line: The Shah’s wife was unfaithful to him, so he cut off
her head and summarily declared all women to be evil and thereby
deserving of punishment.
Summary: Jillian Lauren was an
eighteen year old NYU dropout when she hears about an opportunity to
earn $20,000 by going to the country of Brunei as a guest of the
billionaire prince, Jefri. What starts out as a two week trip ends up as
an eighteen month stay in the prince’s harem.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed listening to Jillian’s story. But at the same time I
was shocked. She grew up in a rather normal family. She goes to NYU for a
theater degree but dropout and works as a stripper and escort. Then she
travels to a foreign country in hopes of earning big money for a short
stay. Who does this? I guess I grew up too sheltered in small town
Kansas.
However, her time in Brunei is fascinating. The wealth and splendor of the rich is unbelievable. If you have seen Crazy Rich Asians then you know what I am talking about. She is given jewels, clothes and cash. She went on a shopping spree that basically had no spending limit! Even though she got lots of material possessions she never was happy. It is an interesting look into another lifestyle. I don’t completely understand it but I did find it a great read.
FYI: Language and explicit details about her life as an escort.
Working the front desk gives me lots of opportunities to talk about books with patrons and give suggestions. Recently, one of my favorite patrons asked if I had read any Zane Grey books. I told him that I had only read one, Betty Zane, which was one of his first novels about the heroine of the American Revolution.
“In memory of Elizabeth Zane whose heroic deed saved Fort Henry in 1782”
About ten years ago while doing a family history project in college I learned from my grandmother that our family was distantly related to the author, Zane Grey. Through my research I found that my 6x great aunt married Ebenezer Zane, the brother of Elizabeth “Betty” Zane. How cool is that?!
On a trip to Ohio several years ago while doing some more family history research I visited the grave of Betty Zane. It is a wonderful monument to the strong young woman whose bravery helped save her family and Fort Henry.
Statue of Betty Zane at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio.
On a trip to Ohio several years ago while doing some more family history research I visited the grave of Betty Zane. It is a wonderful monument to the strong young woman whose bravery helped save her family and Fort Henry.
He astoundingly had never read this one. I immediately interlibrary loaned it for him. And since I recommended that one for him he suggested I read his favorite Zane Grey novel, Wyoming.
First line: When Martha Ann Dixon found herself on the open
Nebraska road she realized with a shock that at last her innate
propensity for running away from home had definitely materialized.
Summary:
When Martha Ann Dixon, a young girl from Chicago decides to lie to her
parents and hitchhike out to Wyoming to live with her great uncle, she
does not know how her life will change. Along the way she meets a wide
variety of people, some good and some bad. However, one man stands out,
Andrew Bonning. He rescues her from some tramps along the road and gives
her ride. Little does she know that they are both heading to the same
place. As they get to know each other their feelings become stronger
while they try to navigate life in the West.
My Thoughts: I enjoyed reading my second Zane Grey novel. It was a light and easy read. I am not much for love stories or westerns but it was a sweet novel. I did get a little frustrated with the stubbornness of the two main characters. It reminded me of Pride and Prejudice in that way. The supporting characters are sometimes the most fun though. Even though he is considered one of the “bad guys” at a point in the story, I enjoyed the scenes with Texas Jack. He was a true cowboy and added a little bit of humor to the story. The one thing I really had trouble with was the writing. It was good but when it is in the western vernacular it can get hard to understand and read easily.
FYI: If you want a nice western love story than this is a good one for you!
The only surviving piece of Dusseldorf’s City Palace, the birthplace of Anna of Kleve.
On my most recent trip to Germany I had the privilege to visit Dusseldorf and Schloss Burg, the home of Anna of Kleve. Before I visited my brother in law told me about this castle. I knew I had to see it for myself. It was a long hike through the woods and up the hill to this fortress but it was worth every step. It overlooks the town of Solingen, a picturesque town in Western Germany. Even though very little is mentioned about Anna at the castle it is where she spent much of her childhood leading up to her marriage to King Henry VIII.
First line: Anna peered through the window of the gatehouse, watching the chariot trundling through below, enjoying the rich sensuousness of the new silk gown she was wearing, and conscious of her parents’ expectations of her.
Summary:
Anna of Kleve is the daughter of a German duke. She is raised to be the
wife of a powerful man. When Henry VIII is unexpectedly widowed, he is
in search of a fourth wife. His ministers look to Anna for this honor.
As Anna embarks on the journey to England she worries about what her
life will be like as the Queen of England. After her initial encounter
with her future husband her worries mount. Does he like her? He does not
appear to. However, as the first months of her marriage progress her
worries begin to vanish. Then she receives news that the king has grave
doubts about their union. What does this mean for Anna? Will he send her
to her death like one of her predecessors?
Anna’s father and brother’s portraits from the entrance hall at Schloss Burg.
The entrance to Schloss Burg, the home of the Dukes of Kleve.
My Thoughts: Anna is probably one of the least talked about of Henry’s wives. I have read numerous books about the other five but she seems to be largely forgotten. This is rather sad because she was probably the luckiest of the six wives.
I really enjoyed learning more about her life before, during and after her marriage. She led such a sheltered life before coming to England. I cannot imagine the shock of life in Henry’s court compared to Kleve. And the fact that her husband is an obese man who had killed a previous wife. How terrifying! Her reign as queen was a very short lived one. However, she seemed to have made quite an impression on the people of England. I was very frustrated reading about the struggles she had to deal with after the death of the king. She was an important lady and was treated very badly by the men who ran the government of the new king, Edward VI.
A stunning view from the tower of Schloss Burg.
Weir took a lot of liberties with the history by adding in a romance that has no basis in fact. Even though it deviates from the record it was fun to read and imagine that Anna had some love in her life.
This is not a book that can be read quickly. There is tons of information, characters and time to cover. I spent several weeks slowly working my way through the narrative but I found it fascinating. Weir does a great job bringing life to the wives. I am highly anticipating her books on Katheryn Howard and Katherine Parr.
FYI: This is book four in the Six Tudor Queens series by Alison Weir.
Summary:
Rasmira has been training for years to be a warrior and gain her
father’s approval. On the day of her trial she is sabotaged and
sentenced to banishment in the wild until she completes a task set by
the council. No one ever returns from the wild. However, Rasmira is
determined to finish her mission and take revenge on the people who
caused her downfall. But how do you kill a god?
My Thoughts:
Tricia Levenseller can write a really fun novel! There is no big world
building or complicated story lines. It is straight to the point and
loads of fun to read. I immediately was hooked on Rasmira’s story. I
liked how tough she was. I truly felt sorry for her when she is sent
into the wild. Everything that she thought she knew was destroyed. I
enjoyed her interactions and friendship with Iric and Soren. They are
destined to be friends but it takes a lot for Rasmira to accept them due
to past prejudices.
This book really reminded me of The Valiant by Lesley Livingston. There was a lot of action and it was a quick read.
Hi blog readers! I’ll be writing a monthly blog post, which will be posted the first week of the month. As the title suggests, each post will be some random thoughts I have about reading. Hopefully, they’ll be thoughts that our readers will find interesting as well.
Poison Study, Book 1 in the Soulfinder series by Maria V. Snyder
Today, my thoughts have been swirling about book series. I love reading a good series, but sometimes a wrench gets thrown into the works or something else comes up that makes me long for more standalone books. For instance, an author has several books out in a series, hasn’t completed it, but stops writing to pursue other writing adventures (I’m looking at you Jim Butcher and Chris Grabenstein!). Or, a series gets marketed and advertised and sold as a trilogy (yay! only three books!) and then turns into a series of way more books, but now I have to wait a whole year for each book in the series.
Or, along the same lines, you start a series with the first book, and now you have to wait a whole year for each new book. I find myself wondering why I didn’t just wait until the series was finished before I started reading. I’m so impatient to start the next book!
Magic Study, Book 2 in the Soulfinder series by Maria V. Snyder
And that leads me back to what started me thinking about series in the first place. One of my book clubs read a fantastic book last month, the first in a series. I gobbled down the first three books in the series and immediately grabbed book four. Opened it, and realized that some really important stuff had happened that I had no record of! Lo and behold, the author interrupted the series and wrote a related trilogy based on one of the characters, and those three books have all the good stuff I missed. So, I’ll be reading those three books in anticipation of getting back to the original series.
I can’t decide if I’m annoyed with the author for doing that, or looking forward to getting more of the story from a different character’s perspective and seeing more of this fabulous world she’s built. What about you? How do you manage series? Do you wait until they’re finished or do you devour each book as they come out? Drop us a comment below and share what your favorite series is, as well as how you prefer to read them.
Fire Study, book 3 in the Soulfinder series by Maria V. Snyder
PS: The series that has every bit of my attention right now is the Soulfinder series by Maria V. Snyder, and the trilogy that tucks in the middle is her Glass series.
