book blogger

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

~ SamanthaWho ~ 8 Comments

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall KellyLilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly has been sitting on my TBR pile for a while now and I’m happy to have finally picked it up!

Lilac Girls is set during World War II and tells the stories of three women around the world. The first, Caroline, is an American working in the French consulate in New York City. The next, Kaisa, is a Polish teenager working for the underground resistance who is arrested and sent to a German concentration camp. The last, Herta, is a German doctor who becomes involved with the camps.

I’ve read many books set during World War II and am both fascinated and horrified by the stories, but this is one of the only books I’ve come across that extends so far after the war. By continuing the story more than a decade after the war ended, we were able to see the effects of the war on world.

It was really interesting to read these different perspectives of the war, especially as their stories began to intertwine. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. On the other hand, because there were three separate points of view, the writing felt a bit choppy in the beginning.

Caroline, the character from New York City, really frustrated me at times as well. She was incredibly stubborn when it came to her love interest and pushed him away after all they had been through, causing them to both be unhappy. The person who this character is based on, Caroline Ferriday, played a huge role in helping survivors of the concentration camps and I wish the book and given more emphasis on the impact she had.

A few quotes that I marked while reading:

“I was free of spending my life pleasing them, free to go it alone.”

“’Everyone steals from everyone now. Goods belong to those who can hold onto them.’”

Lilac Girls“…the war was officially over, I did not rejoice. The war continued for us, just under a different dictator, Stalin.”


“How nice is its, when one’s own reputation is damaged, to hear of others’ misfortunes.”

Lilac Girls is a great book and I definitely recommend it, especially for historical fiction fans!

Free Audiobooks on Spotify

~ SamanthaWho ~ 22 Comments

Pride and Prejudice audiobookA few weeks ago I was delighted to discover that Spotify (a music streaming service) offers free audiobooks! The playlist I saved is filled with literary classics rather than new releases or current popular fiction, which is what I’ve been reading the most of lately. Which of these fantastic stories did I start with? None other than Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I haven’t read Pride and Prejudice yet… Shocking right?? It’s completely up my alley and I’m trying to find time to correct this grievous error. I was excited to find the story available (for FREE) on the playlist and I use Spotify all the time, so it’s been really easy to switch between music and audiobooks depending on my mood and what I’m working on.

I won’t go into detail about my opinions on Pride and Prejudice in this post other than to say that I absolutely loved the story and it has leaped to the top of my favorite books list. I’ll definitely share my thoughts later on, but I want to read a physical copy of the book first and Pride and Prejudice surely deserves its own post.

I definitely recommend checking out the Audiobooks playlist on Spotify! Along with Pride and Prejudice there are many other classics including, The Great Gatsby, 1984, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Crime and Punishment, and The Secret Garden, just to name a few. Happy listening!

Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom

~ SamanthaWho ~ 4 Comments

Glory Over EverythingGlory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom picks up where The Kitchen House left off and because I loved the first one, I was thrilled to read the second. The Kitchen House is an excellent book about an orphaned Irish girl who works an indentured servent in the kitchen of a plantation. It should be noted that Glory Over Everything can definitely be read as a standalone book.

James Pyke is the son of a white plantation owner and a kitchen house slave, but takes after his father so much so that he believed himself to be white throughout his childhood. As an adult, James now lives in high society Philadelphia and his secret identity is at risk when he goes to rescue his manservant Pan who has been kidnapped and sold into slavery down south. During his journey, James meets an unforeseen alley, Sukey, and together the 3 attempt to escape through the Underground Railroad.

Pan, only a boy, is absolutely endearing and I loved his character. Eager, chatty, and curious, Pan has the best intentions but his questions get him into trouble.

“Robert tells me that I got to learn to be discreet, a word that he says means not to talk so much.”

Grissom has done an amazing job of bringing these vivid characters to life. Their emotions and actions are authentic and I was really impressed by the dialogue throughout the story because it flowed so naturally.

I absolutely recommend Glory Over Everything, as well as The Kitchen House, and both are at the top of my have-read list. Thank you to Simon Books for sending me an advanced copy of Glory Over Everything for an honest review.

The Turner House by Angela Flournoy

~ SamanthaWho ~ 2 Comments

The Turner House“Turners seemed incapable of doing anything in moderation.” This was one of the many quotes from The Turner House by Angela Flournoy that stood out to me. Flournoy has successfully created a story that examines the dynamics of a big, complicated, prideful, and loving family. I was very interested in the different roles and relationships between the 13 children, each of whom had a very distinct personality.

When the children claimed to see a supernatural presence one night in the Turner house, their father Francis denies the possibility of a ghost, saying “there ain’t no haints in Detroit.” Years later, when the siblings have become grandparents themselves, the mysterious haint is still present. This is especially true for Cha-Cha, the eldest sibling who took on the paternal role when Francis passed away. When their mother, Viola, becomes sick and the value of the Turner house crashes with the housing market in 2008, the siblings come together to decide how to move forward.

I really enjoyed The Turner House and the role that each of the siblings played, especially the youngest child Lelah. A terribly lonely woman, she’s addicted to gambling and the stillness that it brings her. Although her downward spiral disappointed me, I found myself rooting her on towards recovery. Because there were so many siblings, I had a tricky time keeping them all straight, but that’s to be expected with 13 children in one family.

Here’s one more quote from the book that really struck home with me:

“What parts of their worlds would crumble if they took a great look at their parents’ flaws? If there was no trauma, why not talk about the everyday, human elements of their upbringing?”

I definitely recommend The Turner House for a thought provoking read! Enjoy!

The Turner House

Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova

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Inside the O'BriensFrustrating, heartbreaking, and eye opening, Lisa Genova brings us Inside the O’Briens, a story about the impact of Huntington’s disease. Genova, the author of the award-winning novel Still Alice, has an incredible talent in her ability to personalize terrible illnesses and create stories that strike a chord with readers.

The O’Brien’s, an Irish Catholic family, are from Boston, Massachusetts. Joe O’Brien, father of the family, is a tough cop with a knack for swearing who learns that Huntington’s disease (HD) is the cause behind his jerky movements and mood swings. HD is a lethal neurodegenerative disease without a cure and is passed down genetically, meaning that Joe’s children each have a 50% chance of testing positive as well.

The story is told from two perspectives, from Joe and from one of his daughters, Katie. Through Joe’s eyes we see the devastation of the disease and the terrible guilt he feels for possibly passing it down to his children. Katie, Joe’s youngest daughter, struggles with the decision of whether to take a test to determine her HD status. That decision weighs very heavily on her and causes her to put her life on pause because she feels unable to move forward. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from Katie:

“Everything she’s ever done has been in preparation for her real life, and she’s itching to get started.”

I admire Lisa Genova for her incredible storytelling abilities and for raising awareness for a destructive disease. An informative, engaging, and heart wrenching book, I absolutely recommend Inside the O’Briens!

The Forgotten Room by Beatriz Williams, Karen White & Lauren Willig

~ SamanthaWho ~ 2 Comments

The Forgotten RoomThe Forgotten Room is a multigenerational story of three women spanning the decades between the 1890’s and 1940’s in New York City. To make the book even more special, it’s written by three wonderful authors, Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig. It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of Beatriz Williams’ work so I immediately jumped at the chance to read and review The Forgotten Room.

The story begins in the 1940’s when the wounded Captain Cooper Ravenal is brought into the hospital where Dr. Kate Schuyler works. Kate is unable to deny the strong connection she feels with Cooper and is shocked to find a small painting in his duffle bag that looks exactly like her. While trying to understand her connection with this new mysterious man, Kate unearths the mystery of three generations of women in her family. Kate discovers the story of her grandmother Olive, a woman who served as a maid in the very mansion-converted-hospital where Kate now works. Through her search, Kate also learns much more about her mother and the forces that brought her parents together.

Despite the fact that the story was written by three people, the scenes flowed together smoothly. It took me a bit of time to keep the characters straight due to the similarities between the determined heroines and their love interests, but in the end all of the loose ends were brought together.

This is a story of fate. A story of love lost and love found. I was completely absorbed by The Forgotten Room and definitely recommend it!

I received a copy of The Forgotten Room from the Berkley New American Library Group in exchange for an honest review.

The Widow by Fiona Barton

~ SamanthaWho ~ 4 Comments

The WidowMy latest read, The Widow by Fiona Barton, is a new mystery crime novel.

When Jean Taylor’s husband is accused of kidnapping a young child, she is shocked. Playing the role of the faithful wife, she stands by his side through the case as the police, press, and public relentlessly pound on their door. Years after the little girl disappeared, Jean’s husband is dead and now as a widow, she begins to open up about all of the secrets she kept hidden for so long…

The Widow is told predominately from the perspective of the widow, Jean Taylor, with scenes from the viewpoints of her late husband, a detective on the case, a reporter, and the little girl’s mother. The story shares a unique view of the influence that the media has on a police case and public opinion. With vast experience in the field of journalism, Fiona Barton shares that perspective in her debut novel.

The book takes place in London, England (a favorite book setting of mine) and is a good story. For me this one is a quick, engaging, one-time read. The plot is wrapped up into a nice bow at the end; which is satisfying after spending the entire book looking for answers!

I received a copy of The Widow from the Berkley and New American Library publishing group in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

~ SamanthaWho ~ 8 Comments

Pretty BabyOver the last few weeks I’ve been listening to audiobooks on the way to and from work and the latest was Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica. A mystery novel, this one is definitely easy to engage with. Mary Kubica does a great job of getting into the heads of her characters by giving them authentic voices.

Pretty Baby switches between the perspectives of Willow, a runaway teenager, Heidi, a middle-aged woman, and Chris, Heidi’s workaholic husband. Heidi is a do-gooder who always puts the needs of others before her own both at home and in her career. When Heidi sees Willow, a skinny and dirty teenager, holding a baby on the Chicago streets, she cannot stop thinking of the pair. Without talking to her family, Heidi takes her charitable outlook to the next level by inviting Willow, a stranger, and the baby into her home.

As the story unfolds we learn more about the instances that led to Willow’s current situation as a homeless teen and it turns out that Heidi’s act of kindness may not be as generous as she had originally intended…

This is the first book I’ve read from Mary Kubica, the author of The Good Girl, and I’m impressed! Sometimes I have a hard time paying attention during audiobooks, but I had no such problem with Pretty Baby so I definitely recommend it.

I’ll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable

~ SamanthaWho ~ 2 Comments

I'll See You in ParisWhen I started I’ll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable I liked it, but when I finished the book, I loved it. A narrative that picks up as the story progresses, I felt truly engaged with the characters by the end. I also love the cover. A worn book on a café table in Paris? How dreamy! The story is filled with classic literary quotes from Hardy, Proust, Woolf, as well as many others, and each was a lovely addition to the story.

The story is based on the real life of Gladys Spencer-Churchill, also known as the infamous Duchess of Marlborough, although she denies the title vehemently throughout the book.

Annie, a young woman of 22 years, finds herself in Branbury, England with her mother. Annie has found an old tattered biography of the duchess and sets out to answer the question of the woman’s true identity. Annie may just fill in some of the gaps of her own family history as well during her search…

Between present day flashes of Annie’s search, we meet Gladys, Pru (her American caretaker), and Win (her self proclaimed biographer) back in the 1970’s. I must say that I LOVED the witty banter between Pru and Win. It was quick, sarcastic, and full of affection all at once. It was fantastic.

I also really liked Gladys, a gruff old woman over 90 years old who doesn’t filter her comments and speaks her outrageous thoughts. Despite her hard exterior and continuous desire to be the center of attention, we get to see a side of the woman that is quite endearing.

While I highly enjoyed Pru, Win, and Gladys, I didn’t especially enjoy Annie. A perfectly fine character, I thought that she acted quite immaturely during her search. It was interesting to compare Annie at 22 years old to Pru, who was 19 years old as a caretaker, and their differences in maturity.

My favorite quote – “You see, Miss Valentine, that’s the problem with getting old. Your body changes but your heart does not.”

I’ll See You in Paris is a great book that grows with you as the plot twists. Definitely add this one to your TBR list, especially if you enjoy historical fiction and wild characters!

I received a copy of I’ll See You in Paris from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

~ SamanthaWho ~ 4 Comments

My Name is Lucy Barton“When I write, I suspend judgment of my characters. I really love them.” – Elizabeth Strout. I was lucky enough to attend an author reading with Elizabeth Strout and was able to hear her read a passage from her latest book, My Name is Lucy Barton. It’s always a pleasure to hear an author read their work so this was a great experience!

The book is told from Lucy Barton’s perspective and while it’s a shorter novel, it covers many powerful issues. The most prominent is the relationship between a mother and daughter. The book switches between a period when Lucy is in the hospital with flashbacks to her childhood. Lucy grew up in a very poor household, her family of five living in a garage when she was young. Lucy and her mother have a very complicated relationship, but at the same time it is very simple in this: they love each other irrevocably. Her mother has never been on a plane, but flies out to Lucy while she is in the hospital and stays by her bedside for 5 days. During this time we see Lucy ‘s memories of pain, fear and love, although it is done very subtly.

A couple of my favorite quotes from the book are the following:

“It interests me how we find ways to feel superior to another person, another group of people. It happens everywhere and all the time. Whatever we call it, I think it’s the lowest part of who we are, this need to find someone else to put down.”

“I feel that people may not understand that my mother could never say the words I love you. I feel that people may not understand: It was all right.”

I really liked My Name is Lucy Barton! Because it’s a shorter book it’s very quick, but very consuming at the same time.