Weekly Reading Thread: April 21-27

I started Neighborly. I finished The House for Happy Mothers and liked it.

It's been a few weeks since I posted (migraines have kept me away) so I've got a few to review. I've read some really great books during this time. 

I read:

The Dutch Wife by Ellen Keith This book is historical fiction that takes place during WWII. It begins in Amsterdam May of 1943. Marijke and her husband are arrested (they were in the resistance) and sent to different concentration camps in Germany. Marijke is given a terrible choice-to suffer a slow death in the labor camp or to join the camp brothel which means more food and a chance at survival. Newly arrived at the camp in the new SS Officer Karl Muller. He is trying to live up to his father's expectations of war time glory. When he meets Marijke both of their lives are changed forever. This book is told in 3 different viewpoints that alternate with the chapters. Marijke's, Karl's, and another person named Luciano who is in the future in 1977 Buenos Aires, during the heat of the Argentine Dirty War. I liked this book except for the chapters pertaining to Luciano. I've read many books with different time periods, and different character's viewpoints, but Luciano's was just too different, too far removed from the other two. Only at the very end does it make sense and they all three tie together. I gave this book 2.5 stars on Goodreads. 

Anastasia and Her Sisters by Carolyn Meyer  This is a historical fiction book that is YA but I thought it was written very well and kept my attention throughout the book. I know quite a bit about their history and have never seen the Disney film, but this book filled in all of the missing little details. I enjoyed it very much. It isn't a solid source like all of the amazing non-fiction books written about this subject, but it is a wonderful book about this subject. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. 

The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner  I really like this author having read a few of her other books and I thought when I read what this book was going to be about that I'd like it. When I finished it I just closed the cover and gazed at it saying, "Wow"! as my feelings swept around the room and finally resettled back into my body. This book was amazing!  It's historical fiction and takes place during WWII. It's about 2 different girls who meet in a resettlement camp in Texas. One is Japanese American. We've all heard of those. The other is German American-I wasn't aware myself that German Americans were resettled. They become instant best friends. They are both teens and in each other they find a way to bear what has happened to them. I adored this book. I learned a lot through this book. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. 

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly I read this author's book Lilac Girls last year and Lost Roses is about one of the character's mother-Caroline's mother Eliza. This book starts right before WWI and Eliza lives in New York with her family. She is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg with her friend Sofya, a cousin of the Romanov's. When Austria declares war on Serbia Eliza escapes back to America and Sofya and her family escape to their country estate. With Sofya's family stuck in Russia as the empire falls Eliza worries about her in New York and this book goes back and forth between the two adding in a third character who impacts Sofya's life. I loved it and think Martha Hall Kelly is a wonderful writer. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. 

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni A lot of folks here have already read this book so I don't need to describe it but I will say that I really loved this book too. I enjoyed it immensely and gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. Thanks to whoever first wrote about in on here or I never would have found it on my own. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. 

And now I'm all caught up!  Happy reading everyone. 

Hope you're feeling better - migraines suck.

I loved Sam Hell too

     Thanks so much NicL. Yes, the last few days have been better. 

I just finished "When Christ and His Saints Slept" by Sharon Kay Penman. Historical fiction about Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II. Long - 888 pages on my e-reader, but it was very good and held my attention. A bit slower-going, lots of characters and titles to sort out, but well worth the effort.

Trying to decide if I should start the second book in the series or break it up with something lighter.

Thanks to the peas who recommended SKP!

I just finished Next Year in Havana. It was solidly ok, but not amazing.

I finished PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee. It follows a Korean family from 1900 to the 1980s. They are in Japan occupied Korea and Japan, facing prejudice and hardships. It was an engrossing and epic story. The writing was beautiful. I loved the characters. Thanks for the rec!

I’m busy with Passover so haven’t started something else yet. There are so many great sounding recs from this week and last week. I can’t wait to start something new.

birukitty, my favorite books so far this year were Sam Hell and The Last Year of the War. Both so wonderful!

I read Tiny Americans by DeVin Murphy. Here's my review.
Boom!

That ending. Blew me away.

Much of Tiny Americans, the sophomore project by Murphy, was so depressing. In fact, that's a gross understatement. I struggled to read it in spots.

But the ending was filled with so much hope. No doubt about it, Murphy can write like nobody's business. 5/5 stars

I also finished Winter Loon by Barnhard. It was lyrical and tragic. 4/5 stars.

I DNF'd one called Forgiveness Road. I didn't like the writing style at all.

Reading The Eighth Sister by Dugoni, a thriller. Unputdownable!

And I'm super excited b/c Where the Crawdads Sing finally came in at the library after another two month wait (!!!). And Redemption, the new one by Baldacci. I will pick those up by Thursday if not sooner.

Lisa

I'm another Pea who gave Sam Hell 5 stars. 

I just finished The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn. 3.8 / 5 stars for me (bumped to 4/5 on Goodreads).

Anna Fox is a NYC recluse who spends her days spying on her neighbors through her window, drinking wayyyy too much wine and never going outside. A solid read, not spectacular. Somewhere between 3.5-4 stars for me, hence my very specific 3.8 rating. Definitely enjoyable and twisty but a little lackluster on those twists. I don't know if one of those was supposed to be shocking but I guessed it pretty easily.

I guess I will be the lone dissenter and say I enjoyed the audible narration. I do listen to my audible books on at least 1.25x speed though, so maybe that helped. It does take a good while to get into the storyline (at least 50%) but I enjoyed the beginning chapters anyway.

If you like psychological thrillers, this is a solid choice. Its just not going to earn a place on my 5-star favorites shelf. (I expect a LOT from my psych thrillers. Its one of my favorite genres!)


Trying to get into Watching You by Lisa Jewell as my book for this week.

Did you read Verity and did you like it? 

I just have a feeling that will be made into a hit movie. 

I can't remember ever thinking that I would like a movie of a book more than I liked the book before Verity.




Finding Rebecca by Eoin Dempsey -- another audiobook from Kindle Unlimited that was very well done.  Prior to WWII, a young boy and girl meet on the Island of Jersey and fall in love. The girl is Jewish. The boy is German. When the Nazis invade, the girl is sent to a concentration camp and the boy joins the SS hoping to find her.

Sounds like a plan. What could possibly go wrong? Hindsight is 20/20.

It's a perspective of life inside a concentration camp from that of an SS officer who tries to save and/or protect as many people as he can while he's there.

If you are reading historical fiction about WWII, put this on your list. It's worth listening to the audiobook if you are with Kindle Unlimited.  I give it about 4 1/4 stars.






The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 18 1/4 years old - by Henrik Groen. I've been reading this little treasure as I fall asleep each night for some time. The entries are short and Hendrik's recounts of the other "inmates" of his nursing home in Amsterdam are endearing.  I giving it 5 stars. 

The untranslated version on Goodreads says that the name translated into English is more accurately " Attempts to make something of life: The secret diary......." -- and yes, I have to note that Groen does just that.

I am reading I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella. It's cute and light, and sometimes you just need that.

I'm almost done with The Hate You Give I have really enjoyed it and it has led to some great conversation at home.

This is what I read last week, as well. I really enjoyed it. I read it quickly, for me. I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second half. But overall, I liked it and it's been well-received by everyone in my book club.