The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Excellent read! I loved this book and I loved this story! The fact that it is a true story made it all the more remarkable. Two of my favorite books about historical events are "Seabiscuit" and "Unbroken", both written by Laura Hillenbrand. It's fascinating to me that all three of these historical events happened during the same time period - and that all three stories are told in such engaging, personal and highly readable ways.

Before reading this book, I had zero knowledge of rowing. Zero. I didn't even know it was an Olympic event. When I am really enjoying a book, I read fast - and my eyes were flying by the words in this book. I learned so much! I loved the explanations of each position in the boat, what the responsibility of each person is, why the coxswain and the stroke seat are so important and what it means to "swing" when rowing. Even though I knew how each pivotal race had to end in order for these nine boys to advance to the Olympics, it was written in such a way that each race was exciting - and nerve-wracking at times. It's a story of endurance and will power and strength and incredible teamwork!

The personal touch comes in through the story of Joe Rantz (mainly). Even though we KNOW that Joe is in the USA Olympic rowing crew in 1936, reading his trials and tribulations in his personal life, his financial life and his rowing life keeps you at the edge of your seat. Joe is abandoned by his father, not once, but twice! He is mired in poverty - wearing the same sweater every day for his entire freshman year, and being made fun of by the other boys - but he presses on relentlessly. He works at everything and anything to make enough money to put himself through school. He is so accustomed to only being able to count on himself, that he struggles in the boat because he works as an "individual" rather than as one cog in the wheel that moves together. So, he is taken out of the #1 boat a few times - and put back in. I love that Joe is able to finally go "all in" and place his trust completely in the 8 other boys in the boat. 

And Joyce! How lucky for Joe that he had Joyce in his life! She obviously loved him, but to make sure that for the rest of his life that he never felt "abandoned" again, how awesome is that?! I am so happy that they had 63 years together in marriage - on top of the years they were devoted to each other before their marriage. Then there is their daughter Judy. This story could not have been told without her. How many kids listen to their parent's stories as closely as she did - and appreciate the hard work, dedication, persistence and importance of the events? 

On top of all of the above, as much as I have read about World War II and Hitler himself, I never knew that Hitler "sanitized" Berlin for the Olympic games in 1936! That in itself was an amazing use of propaganda, which obviously fooled a lot of people who attended the Olympic games and slowed down the world's complete understanding of what Hitler was doing in Germany. That the USA crew won the gold in the Olympics, despite the Germans manipulating events to their own advantage, is incredibly inspiring and rewarding! 

Again, an excellent story and an excellent read!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Haiti The Aftershocks of History by Laurent Dubois

I knew very little about Haiti before reading this book. I found myself increasingly dismayed by the civil wars, violence, poverty, and most of all, the interference of countries like the United States who has so often in Haiti's history tried to control what they didn't truly understand. 

Haiti was colonized by France. It was a slave nation, harvesting sugar cane on plantations using slaves from Africa. Haiti's slave revolt is the only successful slave revolt in the history of the world. So why, after throwing off the constraints of slavery, no one in the world believed that the Haitian people were intelligent enough to govern themselves, is difficult to fathom. People were mired in the belief that people of color were a lower life form - needing white people to make their decisions, run their country, their government, and their army. Even the Haitians themselves! Even the Haitians respected the lighter skinned Haitians over those with darker skin.

I was incredibly discouraged by the US and their 20 year occupation of Haiti. Such violence and corruption! This book - and Haiti's history - really shows a negative view of America and their greed. It shows the ignorance of several American presidents who gave aid to a country full of corruption - who did nothing to help the people of Haiti despite repeated requests. It would have been helpful to Haiti if the US had supported their desire for autonomy and independence, rather than deny them because of the color of their skin - and the US's desire to turn a profit at the expense of the Haitian people.

Of course the Haitians have actually not done well governing themselves, since every president of Haiti demonstrated an abuse of power once they were "in office", by whatever means it took to get there. Even the men who seemed to have the rural Haitians in mind when trying to reform Haiti, were quickly consumed by greed of power and control over the nation.

So, things were not going well before the earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, which further advanced those living in poverty.  They still don't seem to have a clear understanding of how to become a thriving democratic society. Haiti doesn't want to be governed or controlled by foreign powers, yet they also can't govern themselves democratically. Very sad situation. 

This book was not a quick read. It's very political in nature - and it covers over 200 years. I am glad I read it before going to Haiti myself though. I am wondering why the Haitians would even want groups of Americans in their country though! The US has treated them horribly. (Not just America, of course! There are plenty of other countries that are profiting off Haiti). I have heard though that the Haitian people are very kind to mission teams. I will find out myself in January! Really looking forward to my trip, despite my misgivings about their history with America.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Change is good though. I thought it would be similar to The Hunger Games, Divergent, Legend, The Maze Runner, etc. - but it wasn't. This was actually scarier to me, because I feel like it could happen to us one day. A fast-acting, airborne virus could indeed wipe out the earth - and it would take out our medical personal first, which would be difficult for the survivors! Fortunately, Jeevan had some training before the Georgia Flu. His limited skills came in handy in his new life.  His ability to adapt to new situations also saved his life. His impulsive shopping was a very smart thing to do!

I really liked how all the characters were connected, even when they didn't know it. I certainly didn't guess who the prophet was until it was spelled out for me! He took "everything happens for a reason" to the next level. Everyone was connected through Arthur. Arthur was a main character, and yet he was dead.  Everyone was also connected through "Station Eleven", but most people didn't even know who wrote it! 

It was interesting to start a story at the world's demise, and then develop the characters by having those characters think about their past lives, switching between the pre Georgia flu times and the post Georgia flu times to tell their stories. Then to have Jeevan, Kirsten, Miranda, Elizabeth and Clark tell Arthur's story. I wish we found out what happened to Elizabeth, but I guess there wasn't a character to tell her story after she left the airport, except Tyler, and he obviously wasn't into sharing about what happened to his mother. "Everything happens for a reason".

I have to hope that if something like the Georgia flu occurs, and I happen to be one of the few survivors, a traveling musical/acting group would indeed exist, but that it won't be performing Shakespeare plays!! Not a big fan of Shakespeare myself. I thought it was interesting that the traveling performers were the only ones really moving around, other than the prophet. I kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting for someone to start "rebuilding" society. At the very end, there is hope of that when Clark shows Kirsten the community of lights, but generally, the main characters really don't do much about rebuilding. After 20 years you would think they would have been farming, building, planning, organizing, something MORE than just surviving. I thought that was odd.  The book ends on that note too. Survival is insufficient. Agreed. Then DO something!

I kept wondering if it was the author's intent to continue this story, but when I did some research, it doesn't say the author is planning a sequel or anything. I'm not used to books having such a non-ending. I liked the book though!

Wendy's Rating: ****

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

This was a charming tale set in England in the 1930's told by a 17 year old narrator. I liked Cassandra Mortmain. I loved how she forced herself to journal because she wanted to learn to write, which makes sense since her dad was a famous author, if only of one book. We learn a lot about Cassandra and her family through her journal. It's been quite awhile since I read Pride and Prejudice, but this book reminded me of that one. I thought both books were "quaint", but I didn't love them. This was certainly not a difficult book to read - it was "written" by a young girl - but it took too long to read it because I was always setting it down to do something else. This clearly means that I wasn't overly invested in it!

The "class system" was very important in England, and the Mortmains were of a certain class because James Mortmain' book sold well, especially in America. But then he threatens his wife with a cake knife (temper of a true artist/genius), spends three months in prison, buys a rundown castle, Mrs. Mortmain dies young "of perfectly natural causes" (Really??  What young woman in her 20's (?) dies of natural causes??) and they plunge into poverty. So, it's the 1930's and they are of a certain class, so this in turn means that no one makes an effort to go out and work!! They simply live in poverty, until the son of their former, deceased, servant finds a job to support them. Honestly!! But, different times, different country, right? Hmmmm....I understand why beautiful older sister Rose decides the only way out of poverty for them is for her to marry a rich man. When she finds her rich man, she succeeds in having him fall in love with her - and I do believe that she wanted to help her family live a better life, along with herself.  I was thrilled, though, that in the end she chose love over money! That was certainly her redeeming quality!

I loved Stephen!! He was kind and devoted and handsome to boot! Why, why, why couldn't Cassandra have loved him??  Cassandra was quite in tune to her feelings as a young girl. She could have basked in Stephen's "worship" of her, but she cared enough about him to be honest with him - despite one weak moment when she kissed him in the woods. I liked both Simon and Neil too - and in the end, things happened the only way they should. Cassandra showed her maturity by letting Simon go - temporarily. ;) I believed that he would, in fact, be back.

We are so "jaded" now. Or maybe it's just the way books are written now versus the way they were written in the 1940s. This was such a "sweet" book, despite the poverty, the mental health issues of James Mortmain, the death of a young mother (Mrs. Mortmain), unrequited love, falling in love with a sister's fiancee, the sister falling in love with the fiancee's brother - and yet everyone forgives from the heart, loves each other and moves on with their life. Authors just don't write books like this anymore! I am actually surprised that I didn't like the book more than I did. I love character studies. This book just didn't hold my attention - and the chapters were very, very long!

Wendy's Rating: ***1/2

Family Life by Akhil Sharma

As I was reading this book I was wondering why it was labeled "fiction" when it so obviously read like an autobiography. I couldn't believe it wasn't an autobiography. So, I was not surprised when reading the author's comments in the interview at the back of the book to hear that almost everything in the book was true. I also understand why Akhil Sharma labeled it "fiction". It gives an author room for flexibility in conversations and timing of events.

I found the book quite depressing, to be honest. I really didn't like Ajay that much. He definitely had a lot of good qualities. He took care of his brother tirelessly. He helped his mother endlessly. He was an obedient son. He seemed to love Birju and both of his parents, despite their faults (his mother constantly berating him and his father's drunkenness). Ajay had a lot going against him and he continued to help out at home, study hard and be successful. But....I just didn't get him! He was just so odd. I understand that we were "hearing" his private thoughts, and most of us think things at times that we wouldn't want "voiced", but he was too odd for me to relate to on most levels. 

I don't know what it's like to be an immigrant, and I don't know what it's like to be Indian. Their culture is certainly different than mine. I didn't have a difficult time accepting the differences in cultures and beliefs about religion or family. I just didn't understand what Ajay's personal motives were when he constantly bragged about how smart Birju was before his accident; his reporting of the intimate details of his brother's care to his classmates; his telling girls he barely knew that he loved them (isn't that considered harassment?!); his bragging about his own achievements as he got older. He just came across as an unlikeable person to me. He really needs to work on his approach to others! The synopsis about the author on the back of the book doesn't mention that he is married. That would not surprise me. He almost used the same approach towards classmates and girls as someone on the autism spectrum would - lacking in social graces.

There was very little in this book to feel good about: Ajay's parents constantly screaming at each other; his dad's alcoholism; Birju's accident. To me, it just came across as a depressing novel portraying unhappy people dealing with tragic circumstances in an unhealthy manner. Yikes! When is the sequel coming? ;)

Wendy's Rating: ***1/2

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

This is a book with a lot of questions but not a lot of concrete answers. I think there are some really solid reasons why that is though. First of all, the book was based on a real person and a real case and Grace Marks drops out of the limelight completely (and changes her name) once she is finally pardoned. That alone made it impossible to have any "follow-up" on her mental health status.  Secondly, doctors did not have good understanding of mental illness in the 1800s. Early on in the book, Dr. Joseph Workman from the Provincial Lunatic Asylum tells Dr. Simon Jordan in a letter that he is "inclined to believe that neither religion nor intemperance will induce insanity in a truly sound mind - I think there is always a predisposing cause which renders the individual liable to the malady, when exposed to any disturbing agency, whether mental of physical." This is incredibly "forward thinking" since that is what doctors believe now, meaning that some people are predisposed to mental illness through genetics, but that doesn't always mean they will be mentally ill. If there is a incident in their environment - a one-time traumatic event, or a longer experience where someone doesn't feel "safe", that person with a predisposition can develop a mental illness.

I don't think there is a clear-cut answer of Grace being innocent or guilty. I know in the book they talked about spirits entering people if the window is not open for the spirit to escape at a death. I don't think Mary Whitney's spirit entered Grace because the window wasn't open at her death, but that is they way people thought back then. I see it more as a split personality (like Sybil). Grace certainly had several traumatic events happen in her life: leaving her homeland; her mother's death on the ship; her father's abuse; leaving home to work at the age of 12 - and leaving her younger siblings with their abusive father. The final straw to break Grace mentally was the death of her very best friend, Mary Whitney. I think at that moment, her personality split. Mary took on the difficult things that Grace couldn't process. Grace was the "innocent, sweet, loving" personality and Mary Whitney was the "cold-hearted, manipulative, seductress of men" who is capable of either committing the physical act of murder itself, or using men to commit the act on her behalf. So if Grace doesn't know what Mary is doing, does that make her guilty of murder? Most psychiatrists today would say no. But, if Grace had a split personality, what happened to Mary after she was pardoned? I would love to know what happened to Grace Marks in real life!

I really didn't know what to make of Simon Jordan! He seemed like this solid, upstanding man who was dedicating his life to understanding mental illness, while sacrificing his own chance at marriage & children sometimes. At other times, he seemed creepy and self-serving, always thinking about women in inappropriate ways and having sex with them and even thinking about using violent behavior with and/or against them. Talk about having and outer good persona and an inner bad persona! Yikes! Maybe that's why Simon and Grace developed a bond. They both had two personalities. It's interesting that he ended up brain-damaged.

This is not my favorite writing style. I really like it when authors use proper sentence structure, quotation marks and punctuation for the main character as she narrates her story, rather then a stream-of-consciousness. I found it really distracting at first, but I found myself "going with the flow" after awhile. I also had trouble with the timeline, mostly at the end. I couldn't keep track of the passing years since the end of story was told through dated letters. I did like the use of the letters though, and I really liked the snippets of past musings/records/journals regarding Grace Marks at the beginning of each chapter, especially since they came from actual documents written at the time.

I was pondering why the title of the book is "Alias Grace". Is it the Mary Whitney/Grace connection? Mary Whitney, alias Grace, committed a crime.... Or Grace's split personality, Mary Whitney, uses her own name (Mary Whitney) when she flees to the United States after the murders.... Or that Grace uses an alias after she is pardoned.... Maybe it is because Grace is never allowed to just be "Grace" because she is forced to be someone other than who she really is because of her circumstances in life.

I really like Margaret Atwood as an author. Her books are incredibly different from each other (at least the books I have read by her).  I wouldn't say this is my favorite by her, but I thought is was very intriguing and well-researched.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown

Well...this isn't a book I would typically read. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it. There were parts of it that were fast-paced and I found myself not wanting to put it down (like when Wedge was biding his time in the ocean after his botched escape attempt)! I can see how someone with an interest in cooking would enjoy Wedge's "MacGyver-like" meals for Mabbot because he was incredibly resourceful and creative when it came to putting a meal together. Heck, I really don't enjoy cooking, but I was interested in how and what he cooked! With that being said, I am not really in to pirates - even if they are pirating against evil - simply because of the death toll and cruelty to others.

This story had a point of course. Mabbot was fighting against the Pendleton Trading Company - its practices, its trading of opium, its money-hungering ways that exploited all people in its path. But she was also tracking down the Fox - which I understood - but that chase caused a lot of death and destruction. And to what end?

I liked Wedgewood and I am glad that he found love again. After his second escape attempt, I was really hoping that he would stop trying to escape before it got him killed! I just wanted him to stay safe and keep cooking. He seemed a little naive at times about other ships and/or people "rescuing" him Mabbot. I guess from his prospective, being kidnapped from the kitchen of Ramsey, he had every right to think that Mabbot and her crew were the "evil ones", but after awhile I just wanted him to stop always thinking about escaping from her!

This wasn't a happy book. It was actually quite sad, all said and done. Mabbot and her crew tried their best to take down Pendleton, but at such a HUGE cost. I guess you have to fight for what is "right" for you, no matter what the result is if you want to make an impact in this world. Obviously, Mabbot couldn't live any other way. But, the book didn't end the way I thought it would and I found it very sad. Being a pirate is not an easy life!

I was happy that Wedgewood and Joshua were able to make a life doing what they enjoyed the most. That was the shining light in this story. And I loved that Wedgewood eventually understood that people communicate different ways and that his way was only one method of communication. It was wonderful that he learned Joshua's sign language and saw the value in it.

This book would only appeal to certain people, so because of that I am giving it the following rating:

Wendy's Rating: ***1/2

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

What an incredibly well-written but sad novel. I understand that war is sad, and I certainly didn't expect this to be a feel-good book, but the underlying sadness throughout the book made me teary-eyed several times.

First of all, Frederick. He was such a sweet boy; a good friend to Werner; a bird lover. All he wanted to do it study birds, and that was taken from him. And Werner, the orphan who loved his sister; so incredibly intelligent; so intent on not dying in the mines like his father. Both of them young German boys who followed orders always, until they each made one defiant act that ended life as they knew it. In the end, they both defied their "mission" as a German - certainly for different reasons - but they each seemed to understand that what they were doing wasn't right for them anymore. They both stood up for something they believed in, despite the consequences. Werner's final redeeming action was to leave Marie-Laure's treasure behind. I have ready plenty of books set in World War II that differentiate between being a "German" vs being a "Nazi", where you despise the Nazis and their actions, but feel sympathy for the German people who didn't fully understand what was happening in their country. This book made me feel sad for the children of Germany who were living, or barely surviving, in a crumbling country in economic collapse when Hitler came to power. Their choices were limited, and they chose survival for themselves and/or their family.

And the sadness continues with Marie-Laure's father and wonderful, brave Madame Manec. Where would Marie-Laure have ended up without these two influences in her life? Her dad had such foresight to force Marie-Laure to learn how to live and survive without sight. Building the models of her neighborhoods, insisting that she learn them storm drain by storm drain, sending her the letters from prison with hidden clues. Then there was Madame Manec aiding the resistance in France, despite the risk to herself and others - and encouraging others to stand up and fight the only way they could.

Then there is Marie-Laure herself, who does so many brave things. She was a child! She was a blind child, who suffered loss after loss, and she continued to fight on. Etienne certainly wasn't a big help in the beginning, other than offering his home to Marie-Laure and her father after they fled Paris, but he came through in the end. First with his illegal radio transmissions and then stepping up to being Marie-Laure's "family" after she lost everyone else.

Excellent Read!

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Art Forger by BA Shapiro

I really loved this book! I have an all new appreciation of painting as an art form. I have always loved music, dance and literature - but I have never been that interested in paintings or sculpture - or architecture for that matter. I was completely enthralled while reading about the painstaking process of painting a work of art. Who knew?! I can sincerely say that from now on, when I visit a museum, I will be taking a much closer look at the paintings in the art gallery. I had no idea that there were so many layers upon layers of paint; the differences between painting wet on wet vs. wet on dry; the time it takes for a painting to actually be "dry"; brush strokes going left to right or vice versa; painters having their signature style, whether they paint in the realism style or the impressionist style. My list could go on and on because it became quite apparent to me that I know next to nothing about painting!!

THEN, we get into art copying vs. art forging - and that whole process. Incredibly fascinating!  This book was really well-written. It kept my interest - and kept me turning pages - despite an almost zero interest in painting before picking up this book. Despite the author describing, in detail, the processes involved in both painting and copying/forging, the details were so interesting - and the storyline so intriguing - that it ended up being a "page-turner".

I wasn't thrilled with the ending. I didn't necessarily hate it, but I was disappointed. Claire was like the pot calling the kettle black. Both Claire and Aiden lied by omission; they both knowingly and willingly committed a crime for the benefit of themselves; neither one was completely honest with the other. Who is Claire to judge Aiden so harshly, especially after she had been so harshly and unfairly judged by others in the preceding years?? I don't need to have nice, tidy, happy endings in books, but I wasn't crazy about this ending.

Art forgers and/or copiers are incredibly talented. Not only can they paint as well as the artist himself paints, they can study and mimic the brush stroke, pressure, colors, shading, layers of paint, style of the original artist. Quite impressive.  I am happy that Claire's skill and artistry was finally acknowledged by the art world - not only as a "copier" but as a legitimate painter in her own right.

I DID wonder why Claire didn't suspect that the painting she was looking for was at Sandra's. The sub-basement was a good idea as a hiding place, but I would have looked for it @ Sandra's first!

Loved it!

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I really do like dystopian novels. The Hunger Games trilogy will probably always be my favorite, but I like many other dystopian stories as well. The Maze Runner is one of them. It's interesting to me that it's always about children! The saying "our children are our future" really rings true in these books! The strongest, the fastest, the smartest.... Sometimes you forget that they are only children. I believe though that you can gather a group of people, regardless of age, and put them in a stressful situation and leaders will emerge.

I like Thomas, not only for his intelligence and strength, but for his compassion for others. I am really sad about Chuck, even though I wasn't surprised by his action. I actually wondered how he ended up being chosen for the maze trials in the first place. Chuck was a really nice person, but without any particular skill. Just made me wonder. I don't think he would have been happy about what's coming ahead for the survivors though! Who was he really named for? Charles Darwin doesn't seem to fit him, unless I missed something. And what's with "Group B"?? Totally curious about that!

I feel like we have only scratched the surface of this story. We don't even know much about Teresa. I am glad there is a girl involved! I didn't realize there was a prequel to The Maze Runner until I went to buy the book. I decided to read the books in the order the author wrote them, although it was tempting to read the prequel first! I am really curious about Teresa writing WICKED is good. It doesn't appear that is true...but we are early into the story I guess. I did not pick up on what WICKED stood for at all! It seemed obvious once I knew!

I am really looking forward to continuing with this story. I may even watch the movie, which I am usually reluctant to do. The Hunger Games movies are some of my favorites though, so I think it's worth a shot!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

I liked this book much better than the second one in the trilogy. Back to present day; back to family; back to characters that I know; back to the main point of the story. Harkness is certainly verbose - and I really don't need to read about every characters every thought and movement - but she does paint a picture!

I love books about strong women, and Diana continually got stronger as the story developed. Diana and Matthew's relationship was more of a partnership instead of a dictatorship in this third book. I really liked how Diana became the person of knowledge and power in the Bishop-Clairmont scion, as well as the Congregation itself.  Diana made a point though of saying her knowledge and skill would be used for justice rather than a pursuit of vengeance or power.

This story is another example of people not accepting each other's differences - or being afraid of the differences; an abuse of power by the strongest; a resistance to change. These are very common themes, in books and in life.  The "discovery of witches" that happened so long ago and now finally resurfaced with the Bishop-Clairmont family: a willingness to change is the secret of survival. Vampires, Witches, Daemons all wanted to keep their "species" pure, with no "corruption" from the other species. Sound familiar? It was interesting that Harkness carried the scientific research throughout the story, which added to the impact that they were not different "species", but all of the same species, with differences.

I thought The Book of Life was a well-written conclusion to this story.  I liked it as much as The Discovery of Witches.  (Maybe more so because Diana was such a stronger person in this one.)

Wendy's Rating: ****

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

This book drove me a bit crazy, especially the first half!  Really, it was Sookie who drove me crazy! I would have thought she was 20 years older than she really was based on her actions and reactions about things. What what supposed to be "charming and funny", simply irritated me. At one point, where she was exceptionally shallow, I had to put the book down for awhile. Ditto about the shallowness of her daughter, Dee Dee.  And what's with the ridiculous names: Dee Dee, Le Le and Ce Ce??  Honestly, this was an exasperating read at times. I love humor in books - very much in fact - but I did not find this book humorous. I found it annoyingly silly at times.

When Sookie finally reads the letter (that whole thing irritated me too!) that exposes her adoption, I just didn't get her reaction. Yes, it would be shocking. Yes, it would be upsetting. Yes, one would need some time to adjust to the news. But Sookie went on and on and on about how nothing was real and her family wasn't her family and the things that she was doing (like going to her grandfather's grave) was under false pretenses. She acted like she needed to stop caring for and loving these people because they were not her blood relatives. It was just too much for me!

I do understand that they had all been connected to the Simmons name their whole lives, and that prestigious names mean something, but Sookie and Dee Dee were still connected to the Simmons name even though Sookie was adopted!! They were just so shallow about the whole thing! Enough about that.

The redeeming quality of this book was the story of Fritzi and her family. I loved Fritzi and I loved her story. She was so fiercely independent and daring and I really enjoyed reading about the WASPs. I also like how her story was told mainly through letters. To put icing on the cake, once Sookie meets Fritzi, Sookie stopped being such a doormat and seemed to become a stronger, more interesting person in her own right. I thought it was awesome how supportive Sookie's husband was of her search for her birth mother - and basically, supportive in general.

The evolution of the filling station was interesting too. Fritzi's family seemed "forward-thinking" for the times - and her parents seemed to support everything their daughters wanted to do - including flying airplanes for the war effort! Again, I really liked the Jurdabralinski story from beginning to end.

It is because of the Jurdabralinski story that I rate this book:

Wendy's Rating: ****

Someone by Alice McDermott

I liked this book. It was a "journey book", the story of someone's life. :)  It meanders along, skipping back and forth in time - so that you sometimes know what happened before you find out how it happened. You know what Marie's children think about something long before you find out what Marie thinks herself, of the same thing from years/decades before. One thing that makes the story less confusing (because this technique would not always work when telling a story!) is that Marie's world is very small. At the beginning of the book Marie is around 7 years old. At the end of the book, she is elderly. We are introduced to the people who affect Marie's life in the first few pages of the book. These same people are mentioned (thought of) by Marie in the last pages of the book. It's not difficult to follow a story if there are only a few main characters that affect someones life!  

There are things in the book that are not fully explained, simply because Marie can't figure it out - or doesn't want to - so we don't get a full explanation either. I like to have a full analysis of events and people, so there were times I definitely wanted to know more. One great example of this is Marie's brother, Gabe. I have SO many questions about him! I really wanted Marie to be more forthcoming about asking him what troubled him. Good thing she married Tom, because she certainly needed a talker like Tom in her life. (I really liked Tom. He seemed so loving and caring and accepting, especially to his family and Gabe). I really wanted to know more about Gabe's breakdown and his stay at Suffolk, and quite honestly, why he left the priesthood! He gives Susan and Helen an answer, but there was more to it than that. And is he involved in a relationship, or does his deep faith prevent him from that? There are certainly some details to make assumptions, but nothing clearly defined.  I guess in life we really don't know what is inside of someone else, even those we are closest to, so that makes this story "authentic" in that we don't always get an analysis of events and/or people.

Marie had her heartaches and difficult times, but all-in-all, those events made her appreciate what she had in her life.  She seemed to be fulfilled by her life, despite the disappointments, the sadness, and the "smallness" of it.  Maybe because of those things.  She was certainly deeply affected by the few people that impacted her life, even though many of them were only a very small part of her long life. Pegeen, Walter and Bill Corrigan, to name three!

Wendy's Rating: ****

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

I didn't like this book as much as The Help, but I did like it a lot, despite its sadness.  I have always felt that the relationships between slaves and their owners must have been incredibly complex.  I am sure there were slaves and owners who genuinely loved each other - and the children they had together.  One thing that I thought about when reading this novel is that every book I read about slavery mentions owners having slave mistresses.  I had a hard time believing that every owner had sex with female slaves, which is how it's portrayed in most books on slavery.  I always think about Southerners being more conservative in nature, God-fearing Christians like Southern Baptists who would not ever think it would be okay to have sex with anyone outside of wedlock.  So, I looked it up. Googled it. ;)  Much to my surprise, and dismay, it was extremely common.  Southern culture treated all women as property, both white and black. Men could do whatever they wanted with their property.  It was a sign of the times. Very discouraging.

Although Drayle certainly took sexual advantage of Lizzie, especially when she was only 13, I do think he had feelings for her - more than just a piece of property.  I think she returned those feelings, even at the end of novel when she is not so naive about her situation.  I actually understood why Lizzie didn't run.  I'm not sure I would have either if I were her.  She had feelings for Drayle, she loved her children, she was accepted by Drayle's wife, she was treated much better than the majority of slaves.  Drayle certainly wasn't perfect, but in comparison to other slave owners, he seemed to act more respectfully than many others. Not always though!!  I hated him when he tied Philip to the tree. How can one man treat his "favorite slave" so horribly??  Even though beliefs were so different back then, I have a had time believing that a man could not see that his actions are morally wrong.  It's all about control I guess.  Slave owners controlled through fear.

The many deaths were incredibly sad.  I really want to know what happened to Mawu though!  How sad that she got caught while waiting for Lizzie.  I wasn't so sure about her for most of the book, but when she explains about Lizzie being her "twin", her "Lisa", I was impressed by her heart and her strength.  I was thrilled for both Philip and Reenie!  At least there were two people in the book that successfully left slavery behind and survived. Since the Civil War was approaching at the end of the book, I am thinking that Lizzie eventually got her freedom from slavery as well. Hopefully!

Wendy's Rating: ****

Looking for Alaska by John Green

John Green's books have the same theme: teenagers looking for answers.  Pudge is seeking the "Great Perhaps"; Alaska is seeking forgiveness; the Colonel is seeking a way out of poverty; Takumi is seeking a way to belong.  It's hard to read about young people that are so "lost" and unhappy, like Alaska.  The most difficult thing to do in life is to forgive yourself. You can forgive other people, and other people can forgive you, but it's incredibly hard to forgive yourself if you believe you've done harm to someone you love. Alaska's story is tragic. To feel responsible for the death of your mother is the ultimate burden. I guess we don't know too much about her father, but it's sad that he couldn't help her - or find help for her. She was just a little girl! People should have known she would be deeply affected by witnessing her mother's death, whether she had called 911 or not.

Very realistically, John Green drives home the point that teenagers are self-centered. They think often in terms of themselves - what's important to them; what's meaningful to them; how other's actions relate to them. I was a disappointed in all of Alaska's friends actually. She had shared with them the worst day of her life, and they seemed to acknowledge the awfulness of it - and even realized that is where her self-destruction took root, and yet after the accident, each of them just think of themselves in relation to what she may have been thinking. Really Pudge?? You really think that she would have reacted as strongly as she did that night (early morning) because she kissed you??  These were incredibly intelligent kids - and yet no one even considers her outburst may have been connected to her mother's death - the core of her impulsiveness, drinking, bad choices and sense of guilt which was controlling her life. Again, teenagers often don't think of anything other than how it affects or relates to them.

I loved Pudge's conclusion of how to get out of the labyrinth of suffering. Forgiveness is a powerful thing. I am relieved that Pudge understands that at the end. He won't make the same mistake that Alaska did.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Copper Sign by Katia Fox

This is an engaging story and I felt drawn into Ellenweore's story immediately.  Obviously, Ellen is a very strong woman, which she would have to be to survive - and prosper - as she did in the middle ages.  I have never in my life thought about how tools, knives, swords were made and I really had no idea the time it took and the attention to detail that is necessary to make a superior sword.  I didn't know there were steps to becoming a "Master Smith".  I was very fascinated by all of this information.

These books are difficult to read because so many people die - lots of good people and, fortunately, some of the bad. ;)  I thought it was odd that Ellen didn't mourn more deeply when Jocelyn was killed, because I thought she really loved him.  It bothered me that she seemed to just press on with her life even though a man that was to become her husband was murdered - because of her - and it seemed like she was ok to just move on.  I realize that so many people died back then that you would have a different attitude about death. I was happy that Ellen thought about Jocelyn several times after his death, which made her seem less indifferent to his death.

I was SO happy that Ellen finally realized that she was "just another woman" to William.  I didn't want her to blow it with Isaac, who actually really loves her!  I thought more highly of William in the beginning of the book, but when he basically rejected his son as "crippled", I lost all respect for him. Thibault was a horrible person!  His obsession with Ellen was outrageous. I thought he would rape her again - and was really pleased at his demise, finally.  

Jean is wonderful!  I loved him from beginning to end.  Talk about someone who had to grow up before his time - and they grew up early in those times!  He seemed to always be the voice of reason, no matter where they were or what was going on.  

I had never heard of this book - or really, the trilogy - but I really enjoyed it.  I will definitely read the next two books: The Silver Falcon and The Golden Throne.  

Good read!

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

I can see why so many Nicholas Sparks books are made into movies: entertaining story, nice (& beautiful) people, not always a "happy" ending, but a satisfying one, emotional at times. This one was no different. Two different love stories, developing during two different time periods, that merge at the end. Actually, I waited and waited for the two to merge, and it really didn't happen until the very end!  I knew that one would "save" the other, and I knew it had to do with the art collection, but I certainly couldn't figure out how until it was laid out for me in the end. Throw in bucking broncos, a ranch, a handsome cowboy with a life-changing injury, money problems, college (including a sorority house and all its relationship antics), a jealous ex-boyfriend, an art history major, an old man slowly dying in a car accident, a dead wife who talks to him, two romantic relationships, and a world-class art collection....and you have a story!! :)

I probably enjoyed reading about Luke & Sophia's relationship more than Ira & Ruth's, but that might have been because I felt so incredibly sad for Ira and his situation. It made his story harder to read. Then again, sometimes when I was reading about the college "angst": hurt feelings between best friends, angry ex-boyfriends, cheating boyfriends, sorority life, I felt old - and very glad I am done with all of that! A phrase that often came to mind: "Good grief". ;)

I have never understood why people want to ride bucking broncos - any more than I understand why people want to box or do extreme fighting. All I can think of is CONCUSSION!! Our bodies aren't made to withstand that kind of punishment. Too much permanent damage that will effect your brain for the rest of your life!! 

I loved the ending. Nicholas Sparks doesn't always have his main characters live, so I wasn't sure who would die, but I figured someone would. I also wasn't sure how the ranch could be saved with a realistic solution. This ending was very satisfying for me. Now I plan to see the movie!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett

This book reminded me of Shadow of the Wind, which I loved.  Both books are about books - ancient books, forgotten books, mysterious books. The main character in both books has an obsession about a particular book - and there is a mystery surrounding the book, including murder and mayhem. ;)

I very much enjoyed this book.  I thought it was an intriguing read, with three different stories ranging in time from 1592 (Shakespeare's life) to 1875 (Phillip Gardner's life) to 1995 (Peter Byerly's life).  The details of how forgeries are made - and discovered - were fascinating.  I knew that not everyone thinks William Shakespeare was the author of "his" plays, but I didn't realize the lengths people have gone to in order to prove or disprove it. I also didn't realize that you can re-bind an old book.  What a painstaking process!!

This is one of those books that after you finish it, you should start reading it again.  Since there are three very different times and three different stories, and you don't know how it is all going to tie together until the end, I think you would pick up a lot more by starting at the beginning again.  With this book, knowing the ending certainly does not detract from the enjoyment of reading the book.  I thought it was written in a page-turner style, with the mystery of the Pandisto being the central point, but certainly not the only point. There was a lot of information, and historical references, but written in an easy reading style.  Now that I know who everyone is, and how they relate to each other, I can see re-reading it. (Not now though!  Too many other books to read!)

I liked the story of Peter and Amanda, although there was a lot of sadness there too.  It is sad that everything seems to end with her - at least the bloodline.  Why did she have so many serious issues?  Their "scenes" reminded me of The Ghost Whisperer!  Replace Jennifer Love Hewitt with Peter and you have a TV show!  I was afraid that Liz had died when Peter started "seeing" her too!  This paranormal stuff actually didn't bother me in this book, which in other books it would.  I thought it was well-written.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

This book reminded me of Gone Girl, and I liked both books a lot. I am impressed that this book is Paula Hawkins' first thriller. She knows how to keep a story going, despite switching voices each chapter and going from the past to present day.  I also found it interesting that I did not particularly like any of the women in the book!  I certainly became more sympathetic for each of the three by the end of the book, but I couldn't find a lot to like about them as their stories were unfolding.  We have the husband-stealer, who enjoyed being "the other woman" and sneaking around; we have the raving alcoholic who was obsessed with her ex-husband; and we have the cheating, unmotivated, non-working, motherless wife.  Hmmm.... what's to like??  More often than not, I don't like books that only have characters that I can't connect with, or like. This book is an exception to that!

The author kept me guessing on who the murderer was.  She leads the reader in one direction, and then throws in a bit of doubt, and steers you in a different direction. Whenever Rachel got creeped out by someone, so did I. Whenever Rachel trusted someone, so did I. But then she would have doubts, and so would I.  I would have felt more sympathy for Rachel all along if she didn't do such crazy, questionable things - with questionable motives. It drove me crazy that she couldn't remember what happened that Saturday night! I thought it was interesting that when she went to see Kamal thinking that he had killed Megan, he actually helped her in her two sessions with him, despite her trying not to be helped at that point. Just think if she would have seen someone like him when she was going through her fertility issues and her marriage was failing. She may not have drank herself into oblivion. Then again, maybe she would have eventually anyway being married to Tom!

So I am most impressed that the author managed to have me feeling sympathetic toward all three women in the end!! Megan was ready to put herself out there and tell the truth, no matter where the chips may fall - something she had never been able to do in her life. She was finally determined to live her life openly, so she could finally live her life for herself. Anna finally realized that she was being continually manipulated, which gave her a skewed point of view about the people and events in her life - especially Rachel. And Rachel was able to understand that she had been abused and misrepresented. Yes, she made plenty of poor choices under the influence of alcohol, but the reader better understands what she had been dealing with (unknown even to her!) by the end.

I can see a movie being made from this.... ;)

Wendy's Rating: ****1/2

Honeymoon in Paris by Jojo Moyes

Honeymoon in Paris is the Prequel to The Girl You Left Behind, which was included at the end of my book.  I thought I would make a few comments, even though it was only around 60 pages in length.   It was an interesting perspective on each of their early marriages, which held true to their personalities. I again liked Sophie's story, or is it simply Sophie, better! I liked how fierce and passionate she was! I loved how she caused a bar fight by demanding payment on behalf of her husband, and then asked Edouard if he was ready to eat dinner once she got the money.  I loved how she showed respect to a "woman of the night" because Edouard liked her. To give Liv some credit, I guess she demonstrated a fierceness and passion in her own way by not accepting her husband's workaholic ways on their honeymoon.  

One thing I forgot to mention when I posted my thoughts on The Girl You Left Behind was that I liked how the two stories, the  two women, mirrored each other and how much Liv and David, and Liv and Paul were affected by Sophie and Edouard's life and choices.  I thought it was interesting that another of Edouard's paintings was brought into the Prequel, but I was left wondering why Liv and David didn't recognize Sophie from one painting to the other since she was the model for both...??

Anyway, I didn't "need" the Prequel, but I certainly didn't mind prolonging the lives of these characters!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

I really love this author!  This book was so different from Me Before You, yet I loved them both. 

The second part of the book is more emotionally meaningful due to the author spending the first part of the book telling us Sophie's story.  I really loved Sophie's story, so I had a difficult time switching to Liv's story initially.  Especially since I couldn't understand why Liv insisted on fighting for the painting!  The German's treated people so horribly, stealing all of their possessions and letting them starve and freeze to death - or outright killing them.  I really felt like Liv needed a deeper understanding of War - and how awful it was for those countries involved/invaded.  The Germans stole precious art from all the countries they invaded, and I believe that this art should be restored to the proper owner.  Of course, in this case, there were a few things that bothered me: the Lefevre heir didn't really care about the painting itself, only the worth of it; Sophie had intended to give the painting to the Kommandant - even though I know she took it back home with her when she left him; the Lefevre family turned against Sophie.  The way it was presented though, I still couldn't believe that Liv didn't turn over the painting!

This story, and The Nightingale, makes me wonder what I would do if I was ever in this horrible position: accept food from the enemy to save my family/children, or not, because it is a betrayal of your people, your nation?  Obviously, your townspeople, friends and family will see you as a traitor even if you are forced to live with/serve the enemy!  Why do people always think the very worst of each other??  I really couldn't stand Sophie and Helene's brother, Aurelien!! I couldn't believe he could turn against his own sister the way he did!  And people are SO incredibly judgemental!!  I hope to never be in this type of situation of course, but I really think I would do whatever it takes to save the people I love. I don't think in "black" and "white" anyway though, so that's not terribly surprising I guess.

Although Sophie's story - and all those connected to her - makes me feel a bit melancholy - I think their stories ended in reasonable ways: lots of heartache and loss, mixed with some positive moments. I liked the way Liv's story ended.

Jojo Moyes seems to enjoy writing about controversial subjects - like Jodi Picoult - although I like how she infuses a little romance in the mix as well.  It's not always a "happy ending", but the romance is there.  I have already added the rest of Jojo Moyes' books on my Wish List because now I know that my love of Me Before You was not just a fluke.  I really love this author!

Wendy's Rating *****

The Bright Forever by Lee Martin

This book certainly received some high ratings. It reminded me of The Lovely Bones, although more depressing, if you can imagine that.  I actually don't mind sad books, disturbing books, even depressing books...if there is something positive gained from it.  The book is well-written, and I like that the key characters each had a "voice", narrating their own chapters.  But, I couldn't find anything positive in it - no redeeming quality or character.  I really didn't like the majority of the characters, other than Katie herself.  It may simply be too depressing for even me!

Clare was pathetically needy.  I would never be so needy as to end up with a man like Raymond.  I would rather live alone for the rest of my life.  Seriously.  I didn't understand that Ray was a drug fiend right away.  I just thought he was a cruel jerk - who, for his own ulterior motives (mainly gaining money through blackmail), helped out the odd-duck neighbor.  And Mr. Dees.  What's up with him? Envious of the beautiful family who really loved each other, or a pedophile??  Did he want Katie as his own daughter (like he told himself) or was he attracted to her sexually?  And although I don't believe Gilley should feel guilty for ratting his sister out about the library books, I certainly believe that Mr. Dees should accept his share of blame for Katie's demise.  How awful that he left her with Ray when he had a chance to walk away with her!!  What a coward!!

Let's see....then there is Katie's dad.  I obviously completely understand his anger and devastation regarding the disappearance of Katie.  What I don't understand is him going to Mr. Dees to help him?  Why did he even believe Mr. Dees??  Mr. Dees had already done very extremely questionable things regarding Katie - and admitted to them (mostly).  As a father, why would he trust Mr. Dees?  On top of that, he gets Gilley involved - who has to carry it with him the rest of his life - on top of his personal guilt of mentioning the library books to his father.

So, everyone carries on with their lives.  Mr. Dees moves.  The Mackeys move.  Small town America moves on - so much that they don't even recognize Mr. Dees when he comes back to visit years later and the disappearance of Katie is just a memory.  What can we take from this story that might be even a tad positive?  Nothing.  (In my opinion of course).  Again, a well-written novel, but I need a little bit a happiness, or fulfillment, or positivity in a book.

Wendy's Rating: ***1/2

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I like Kristin Hannah books - a lot. This book may have replaced my favorite book by KH, The Things We Do For Love, but it's been so long since I read that one, it's hard to say.  I really loved this one!

First of all, I pretty much love all books written about WWII.  I find the strength in the people who lived, fought, survived, and died - in all of the countries involved in WWII - astounding. Close to starvation, freezing nearly to death, doing things they would have first thought unimaginable, continuing to "act"; continuing to survive; continuing to follow their conscience even at risk of death for themselves, their spouse, their children; it's absolutely inspiring.  I can't imagine ever showing such strength, and yet so many people did!

So, as the author obviously intended, I believed the narrator to be Isabelle.  The only thing that threw me is when she was talking about her son, Julien, thinking she was a meek follower, always deferring to his father.  That may have been the first inkling to me that it was Vianne and not Isabelle, because I can't imagine Isabelle ever being a meek follower!! She was incredibly impetuous and impulsive and brave and bold - and people like her don't change that drastically!  I admired both women for what they did during the war - and what they did to survive.

Again and again I am devastated by how human beings can treat other human beings as if they have no worth.  How on earth did so many Germans - Nazis - believe that starvation, torture, death, medical experiments, gas chambers, etc. was OK????  I get that Hitler was influential in Germany for many years; I get that Germany was in a bad way when Hitler came to power and they saw him as their salvation; I get that many (most?) of the SS were trained to think a certain way as young boys; I DON'T understand them accepting the cruelty against other humans.  These men were not all psychopaths; they weren't mentally ill; they had families of their own that they loved.  Where was their sense of right and wrong? Where was their morality?  Where was their conscience?  I just don't get it.

You could say that this is a story of love, sacrifice, redemption.  But those things certainly did not come easy - and it wasn't pretty.  It was real.  Horrible things happen to people who don't deserve it.  People suffer.  People sacrifice.  People die.  And I cried. :(

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud

I can easily admit that this is not my kind of novel. Any time I read a story where the majority of the main characters are self-centered and pretentious, who think they are better than everyone else, either intellectually or status-wise or both, I am turned off. Yes, I understand that it is satire; that the author is "laughing" at these self-absorbed, pathetic people living their self-important lives in New York City. One or two characters in a novel with these characteristics can add humor, or depth, of meaning to the storyline and/or other characters, but to have every character in a book so self-serving, is simply too much for me.  These characters are so into themselves - and so lacking in understanding and compassion for others - that it was hard to stomach.

So, did I like ANY of the characters...?  Not really.  I guess the only person I didn't dislike was Annabel, simply because she seemed to be genuinely kind. The person I was most disappointed in was Danielle, who appeared to be the most "normal" one in the bunch initially, until she went off the deep end about Murray.  Really?  He was so not worth it! She seriously considered ending her life over him??  His over-inflated ego was incredibly annoying.  Julius was a jerk. Most of the time I didn't even know what to think of Marina. And why exactly did Seeley marry her? He hated her father and I thought he was just trying to get close to Marina in order to expose Murray...which he doesn't do! I can't imagine that Seeley and Marina actually love each other.

And then there is Bootie.  Every time the Thwaites, Julius, or Danielle thought of Bootie they described/thought of him as "plump".  Nearly every single time.  It was annoying. Even at the end, Danielle first thinks that he looks thinner, but then continues to refer to him (in her head) as plump.  Why?? Who cares?? I didn't really like Bootie either, but he was certainly picked on a lot in this book.  They saw him as a pathetic mess.  I saw them all as pathetic messes.  And what's up with the article he wrote?  Really?  He believed that he stood by his "integrity" by writing the article to expose his uncle - but he did this by reading Murray's "novel" on the sly, a complete invasion of privacy, and writing of things that he had no first hand knowledge about. Not that I liked Murray, but I would have been ticked too.

What a dysfunctional, unhappy group of people.  Not my cup of tea.  And really, what kind of ending is this??  It's a non-ending.

Wendy's Rating: **

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

I already liked this author a lot for his mystery series. I also like that he is a Minnesota author and that his books are set in Minnesota.  This stand-alone novel did not disappoint!

This was a wonderful, if sad, coming-of-age story. I really liked both Frank and Jake, and their relationship as brothers. Their father, Nathan, provided such a strong "center" for the Drum family. I think this family would have completely fallen apart without Nathan's unwavering faith in God, the value he placed on forgiveness, and his belief in redemption. Jake was certainly his father's son.  At Ariel's funeral, when Ruth said "For God's sake, Nathan, can't you, just this once, offer an ordinary grace?" I realized that both Nathan and Jake personified "ordinary grace" - and we could all take a lesson from them. At the worst of times, in the midst of personal tragedy, they were the only two that didn't jump to conclusions with the rest of the town, and they both continued to see the best in all people. They didn't judge, or assume, but showed compassion in all things. They absolutely both ended up in the right profession!

Great character development. These characters, like real people, were multifaceted and even in the characters you love to hate, like Doyle, you would sometimes see a glimmer of something positive. I wasn't sure what to make of Gus initially, but he ended up being one of my favorite characters as well.  What would this family have done with Gus?!  What would Frank and Jake had done without Gus?!

This book demonstrates how much time has changed people's acceptance of things like premarital sex, homosexuality, pregnancy, domestic abuse - or at least how we handle these things as a society.  I love that is was set in the 1960's, back when people weren't so "jaded" in their thoughts about people.  Sure, they were less tolerant of people of different nationalities (especially the Native Americans!) and sexual orientation, but it was interesting how everyone assumed that people were virgins until marriage; that people only fell in love with people their own age; that people didn't have adulterous affairs.  I don't know too many men today that could handle the close relationship between their wife and her ex-fiancee!  Most men today would think their wife was having an affair, but Nathan didn't seem to ever think that was even a possibility.

It was a little frustrating for me that Jake didn't figure out who killed Ariel sooner than he did!!  Good grief, he was so busy blaming himself for letting Redstone go that he couldn't see the forest through the trees! I kept waiting and waiting for him to figure it out - and had to wait till nearly the last page until he had his "aha" moment.  Of course the same could be said for everyone else concerning the relationship between Ariel and Emil.  Those were just different times....

Wendy's Rating: *****

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

This was the first book I have read by this author, and I really liked it!  The main character, Jane Forrester, was so young yet so brave.  She went against "society" and stood up for what she believed in, despite what it cost her.  She stood her ground with her husband, with her boss, with her coworkers, with her mother.  She put everything on the line to help a dirt poor 15 year old pregnant girl.  I think that it's awful that she was told - and believed it herself - that she would never make it as a social worker because she cared too much.  What a sad statement that is! Jane bucked the system for all the right reasons, in my opinion.

Ivy was also incredibly strong, and she had such faith in Henry Allen - certainly more than I did at times!  I really didn't think Henry Allen had it in him to leave his family behind for Ivy.  I was definitely disappointed in his father.  What a jerk.  There were so many half-siblings in the book, I was hoping that Henry Allen and Ivy weren't related!  

The exploration of the Eugenics Program in this novel was very interesting.  It's amazing to me that not long after the world discovers Hitler's disposal of all people who were not "perfect Germans" - all those "flawed people" who were not blond hair/blue eyed intelligent individuals, America can develop the Eugenics Program and carry it out for decades without batting an eye;  without noticing - or caring - about the similarity in thought between this Program and what Hitler was doing in WWII.  Incredible.  And kudos to Jane for saying "NO". 

This book was very well-written with well developed characters.  I read it quite quickly because it was such an interesting read.  I felt like Robert was made out to be the "bad guy", but I had some sympathy for him.  Considering it was the 60's, and he was a doctor, he was a "sign of the times".  I imagine it would be difficult, especially in those days, to have a wife like Jane!  I think a lot of other men wouldn't have been nearly as patient as he was.  I was amused by his comment when Gavin called to tell him that Jane was in jail: "Why couldn't she take up knitting, like normal wives?" :)

I will be reading more by this author!

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Undiscovered Goddess by Michelle Colston

Typically, I'm not a big fan of the "inner goddess" thing.  Not that I think that women shouldn't discover themselves, embrace who they are, take time for themselves. I think it's just the terminology that grates on me.

I liked this book though. I found some scenes hilariously funny; some scenes brutally honest; some scenes sinfully indulgent. ;) Holly was so self-absorbed at times I couldn't believe her husband could continue to put up with her.  But I loved some of the changes she made to try to become a better person.  I could identify with some of them.  Rick asked me once why I go to church.  I told him that every time I sit in church, I leave it wanting to be a better person: more compassionate, more kind, more forgiving, less judgemental, less impatient...both at home and in my job.  So I loved when Holly decides to be kind to people who are grumpy, like the cashier at the store. Really, when you think about it, what an easy thing to do. So often though, instead of being kind to someone like that, I walk away thinking "jerk!"  So I've decided to try being kind to the next person I meet like that! :)

I love that Holly went back and re-read what she had written from the beginning - and that she was horrified by her own personality. Because her personality WAS horrifying at the beginning!  I also like how she learns that her choices have power.  That someone can choose to be in a bad mood all day, affecting everyone around them in a negative way, or they can choose to get over it and think more positively - which also affects everyone around them, but in a positive way.  Also, that "life's journey is thousands of baby steps instead of one giant step from A to B. The beginning and end are not life. Life is the passage between the two."  I love that!  I also struggle to be more "present" when I am with someone, like my husband and my children.  Sometimes I do too much multi-tasking and not enough being "present" in the moment.  I definitely have been trying to change that, so I enjoyed Holly's journey from being completely self-absorbed and annoyed by her children, to her spending time actually enjoying her children.

So, despite the annoying terminology at times, and the words in "*...*" ;) I quite enjoyed this book.  My journey to become a better person continues...in baby steps.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

I don't know why I don't like this author more than I do.  I liked The Poisonwood Bible a lot, but my interest usually wanes in her other novels.  I haven't read them all though, so I will stick to this one for now.

Set in Appalachia, this is the story of an unhappy young wife and mother, Dellarobia, who lives on a sheep farm with her husband and his parents. They are dirt poor, with a large balloon payment on their equipment coming due - with no money to pay it. Dellarobia comes across millions of Monarch butterflies one day, that have settled on their land, having left Mexico due to apparent climate change (too hot for them to survive). Unfortunately, although Appalachia doesn't get too hot for them, the fear is that it will become to cold for them to survive and they will die out.  Enter the "scientist", Ovid, who has studied the Monarchs for the length of his career, and wants to continue to do so on Dellarobia's in-law's land.

So, this is a study in climate change and how it is affecting our world; a study of Monarch butterflies; a study in relationships: mother/child, husband/wife, friend/friend, unrequited love, unconditional love; unplanned pregnancies; and the search for a happier life.

All of the above, and yet I kept checking to see how many pages I had left to read....  This was simply not "gripping" enough for me. Maybe because I'm not on board with the "climate change" theory being brought on by man, believing that our world is constantly changing whether man is here or not. (That's not to say I don't care about taking care of our world!) Maybe because I love the Monarch butterflies and learning about their breeding and migratory patterns was interesting - but I'm not a butterfly scientist. Maybe because I'm not a big fan of authors who describe everything - especially scenery - in detail on every page. I would read another novel by Barbara Kingsolver....but not anytime soon.

Wendy's Rating: ***

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

I really loved this story! It was charming and funny and honest - and showed great character development. This book clearly demonstrates the positive and negative aspects of living with Aspergers.  Don was an extremely likable character, despite his obvious eccentricities - or I guess, because of them. One of my favorite quotes in the book is when Don states, "Humans often fail to see what is close to them and obvious to others". I loved when he filled in for Gene and gave the lecture on Asperger's syndrome. That set the scene for the entire book. Loved it!

I thought Gene was a complete jerk. I could not believe the way he treated his marriage and Claudia. I could not believe that she continued to live with such a jerk.  I would not have been happy if no one had confronted Gene about his hurtful behavior at some point in the book!  He so deserved Phil's punch - and so much more.  At least by that point, he knew he deserved it, if not from Phil, then so many others.

Rosie was a wonderful influence on Don, despite having miserably failed the Wife Project test. ;) I thought she was a little hard on Phil though. But, we really didn't know too much about Phil except for her assessment of him. So many lost years for that relationship. Better late than never though I guess.  Relationships are hard enough without living with erroneous information.

This is a true love story and I found it completely heartwarming. I will absolutely read the sequel, The Rose Effect.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

I liked this book quite a bit more than the last one I read by Susanna Kearsley (The Shadowy Horses). My main complaint about that one was the lack of character development. I think The Firebird did a much better job, not only with character development, but also establishing relationships between people that were meaningful and believable.

I liked the historical elements of this novel, especially the parts involving St. Petersburg, since I am intrigued by Russian history. It was interesting to read about the developing relationship between Nicola and Rob as they were watching the developing relationship between Anna and Edmund. Nicola & Rob following Anna to make the connection between the Firebird and Empress Catherine was a clever way to share Anna's story. I was surprised that they couldn't make a clear connection between the two, but I happy that Rob found the James Bond books so that Margaret Ross (poor thing) could go on her well-deserved trip! :)

Susanna Kearsley obviously writes a lot about the Jacobites and their fight for King James to claim the throne as his birthright. I have come to the conclusion that no matter how many times I read about James (First-Eighth!), the Morays, Colonel Graeme, King George, the fight between the Catholics and Protestants, Scotland and Ireland, this is just not a part of history that I am familiar enough with to be able to remember it all. I am not sure I am clearer on the history of Scotland in the late 1600s-early 1700s than I was when I read my first Susanna Kearsley book! Slow learner I guess. I did like how Colonel Graeme from The Winter Sea was also a character in this book.

The only thing I took exception to was Rob's insistence that Nicola speak publicly about her "gift". Why? Why couldn't she keep that information private and them still be together? If I were Nicola, I would not want to be "used" by people (ie Sebastian) for my gift. Now that she has exposed her gift, she WILL be used by others. As much as I liked Rob, I did not agree at all with him forcing that issue.

I suspected early on that Captain Jamieson may be Anna's father, but when he pretty much disappeared from the story, I forgot about my suspicions. So, I wasn't surprised to find out that he was indeed her father, but I really thought he was a Jamieson, not a Moray! It didn't occur to me that he would be disguised, since I really believed that he was dead.

All-in-all, a good story.

Wendy's Rating: ****