book recommendation

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!

The Viking Hostage by Tracey Warr

~ SamanthaWho ~ 4 Comments

The Viking HostageI was initially drawn to The Viking Hostage by Tracey Warr because I’m really interested in Viking history. The stories of raiding and sailing around northern and central Europe are enchantingly wild and barbaric. I think this started when I began watching the show, Vikings, and I’ve been captivated ever since!

The story takes place in Wales and France during the 10th century. The book focuses on three woman and their intertwining stories. One is a Norwegian woman of Viking descent who has been kidnapped and sold into slavery, another is an heiress to a French fortress, and the last woman is in love with her father’s prisoner. How their stories unfold is what really pulled me in and I really liked each of the them.

Despite liking the plot of the story, I had a hard time wrapping my head around the details of the extensive families and the relationships between them. I kept mixing up characters and the book spans a long time range so it was difficult to keep up with what was going on. By the second half of the book though I felt familiar enough with the characters to follow along easily.

The Viking Hostage I liked The Viking Hostage and thought that the story idea was really strong, but I wish
there had been more engagement early on. This was a slower read for me, but once I was engaged (about halfway through) it was really good.

Happy reading!

 

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.

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison

~ SamanthaWho ~ 5 Comments

No One Knows “Insanity is filled with wishful thoughts.”

Aubrey was devastated when her husband disappeared without a trace 5 years ago and she still feels the loss everyday. Even though his body hasn’t been found, the court has officially declared him to be dead. With the declaration comes a $5 million insurance payout and information that leads Aubrey to believe that there may have been more to her husband than she knew…

When I first started reading No One Knows by J.T. Ellison I wasn’t sure about the story because the flow was a bit choppy and at times the dialogue felt forced, but I was intrigued enough to continue. I’m glad I kept reading though because the story picked up and I was gripping the book through the very last pages.

No One Knows As with many psychological thrillers these days, No One Knows has been compared to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and while there are similar components of deceit and trickery, I would end the comparison there because it isn’t fair to either book. There are many psychological elements to this story, throwing me for a loop when I thought I had my head wrapped around the situation. I ended up really enjoying No One Knows and definitely recommend it!

Here’s one more quote that stuck out to me: “Everyone came to this town with a dream, and ended up kaleidoscopes together into a single shifting, pulsing entity.”

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison will be released on March 22, 2016.No One Knows

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 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.

Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar

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Vanessa and Her SisterIn Vanessa and Her Sister, Priya Parmar has brought the members of the famous Bloomsbury Group to life in this powerful novel. The group is filled with incredibly talented intellectuals, artists, and writers in the early 1900’s. Within the Bloomsbury Group are the sisters, Victoria Woolf and Vanessa Bell, and that is whom this story centers around.

The story is told from Vanessa’s perspective and revolves around the very strange and intriguing relationship between the sisters. Vanessa is the elder sister and while she is calm, grounded, and wise, Virginia is brilliant, unstable, and constantly seeking Vanessa’s full attention. Throughout the book we see how far Virginia will go to be closer to Vanessa…

I also loved the way that Parmar brought Lytton Strachey to life with an outrageous personality and charming dialogue. I adored his character.

Vanessa and Her Sister was filled with so many insightful and powerful quotes that I couldn’t pick just one! Here are a few of my top picks:

“…It is a narrow precipice with Virginia. Too much affection given to someone else and she can topple over, too little and she gloats.”

“I worry that life is always in the future and that I am always here, in the preamble straightening up the cushions so that life will go smoothly once it does begin.” 

“Affection is so much easier to give when it is not owed.” 

“In my deep bones, I have always known that Virginia is in love with me.” 

“…She basks in my protectiveness, but it only spurs her on to recklessness.”

“’Hope is an unbreakable habit.’”

Priya Parmar has done an incredible job bringing this time period and these people to life in a beautiful narrative.

I received a copy of Vanessa and Her Sister from Random House in exchange for an honest review.

FIND HER by Lisa Gardner

~ SamanthaWho ~ 5 Comments

FIND HER by Lisa Gardner“Nobody wants to be a monster.” – FIND HER by Lisa Gardner.

FIND HER is so good. And by good, I mean really, really good. Gardner brings us the story of a survivor, a fighter, and a kidnap victim, Flora Dane. This dark thriller is filled with unexpected twists and presents a very unique perspective into the trauma of kidnapping and the long-term psychological effects of such an experience.

Flora Dane has been through the worst when she was kidnapped and held captive for 472 days. 5 years following her abduction, Flora is still having trouble readjusting to normal life. When Detective D.D. Warren finds Flora by the side of a man who has just been burned to death, she is suspicious. She’s even more suspicious when Flora disappears the next day…

Flora is an incredibly strong character whom I couldn’t help but respect. After her abduction, she has extensive insight into criminal minds and is extremely resourceful. Whether it’s a mattress coil or a plastic straw, she looks at anything she has access to as a tool.

Gardner brings up the difference between surviving a traumatic ordeal and actually living afterwards. A very well-researched book, Gardner explores the conflicting feelings of abduction and the extent that Flora needed to go to in order to survive. I definitely recommend FIND HER!

I received a free copy of Find Her by Lisa Gardner in exchange for an honest review. FIND HER is released on Tuesday, February 9, 2016.

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.