Circe by Madeline Miller

This is typically not my kind of book. I was definitely leery about reading it after I figured out the subject matter! Surprisingly, it didn't take me that long to become invested in it. I don't remember a lot about Greek mythology, but I am currently reading the Percy Jackson series, so there were familiar stories. I had never heard of Circe though. It was disturbing how awful her siblings were. I am not sure why they had to be so hateful. Although they didn't seem to have it that easy either, which Circe finds out much later in life. I thought it was interesting that Pasiphae summoned Circe to help her with birthing the minotaur. It seemed to be a kind of compliment to Circe's strength though. No one else would have survived the birth - or even attempted it. I really like Circe, despite her weaknesses. She was the last of her siblings to realize they were witches with special powers. I felt bad that her jealousy over Glaucos caused her to create the monster Scylla. So many lives were lost because of it. I was so relieved that she figured out a way to destroy her in the end, even for Scylla herself.

Odysseus was essentially a cruel man. Circe covers up his cruelty when describing him to their son, Telegonus, but Odysseus was a warrior. He was evolving with every experience, as we all do, but by the time he finally reached Ithaca again, there was no turning back. Athena even had to step in to stop his destruction of others in the end. I thought it was interesting that Telegonus killing his father is the reason why Athena tried to kill Telegonus so many times after his birth, before Circe realized what was happening and figured out a way to protect him on their island. But then when Odysseus died, Athena turned her attention to Odysseus' son, Telemachus, and when he rejected her, she accepted Telegonus instead. Who saw that coming?? Certainly not me.

I also thought it was odd that Penelope and Telemachus ended up finding a home with Circe. I guess if Telemachus had been more like his father, then things would have ended very differently. Telemachus had no interest in his inherited role at Ithaca. He was not the warrior his father was. And yet both Odysseus and Telemachus fell in love with Circe and she had children by both men. (Which is weird in itself, but I always had to remind myself that Circe was immortal and wasn't aging like the mortal men in her life).

It was satisfying that Penelope found her place on Aiaia and Circe found happiness with Telemachus. I really enjoyed this book, despite my initial reluctance to like it. ;)

Wendy's Rating: ****

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

This is a book within a book. Susan Ryeland is an editor for Cloverleaf Books. Susan receives the 9th book, and last book, of a mystery series written by Alan Conway. The main character of the series is a German detective by the name of Atticus Pund, who solves mysteries in quaint English villages. The first couple hundred pages of Magpie Murders is actually Alan Conway's mystery called "Magpie Murders". We are reading it along with Susan. The book comes to an abrupt end though because the last chapter(s) of the book are missing. Then Susan finds out that Alan Conway, the author, is dead, presumably by suicide because he found out he was dying.

The second part of the book involves Susan playing the amateur detective. She doesn't believe that Alan committed suicide, so she tries to figure out who killed him and why. She also wants to find the missing chapter(s) of Alan's final book, since she notices a lot of parallels between Atticus Pund and Alan Conway. (Atticus Pund finds out he is dying as well, so this will be his last chance at detective work). In addition to that, there is a financial concern for Cloverleaf Books if Susan and her boss, Charles Clover (CEO), cannot publish this final Atticus Pund book, which they can't do if they can't find the missing chapters.

The two stories intertwine because Alan uses people and places (with names cleverly re-named) that are familiar to him. Alan's sister mentions to Susan a couple of times that Alan had a fascination with puzzles, clues and word games since he was a child. So Susan tries to put all the pieces together to solve Alan's presumed murder, as well as the murderer(s) of the two characters in Alan's book, since Susan thinks the storyline and the missing chapters of the book hold the answer to solving Alan's murder. Confused yet? ;)

It does get a bit confusing! Since there are parallel characters in the two "books", with different names in different settings with a different storyline, I found myself having to think through the characters. Susan is trying to solve all the murders, both in "real time" and the fictional ones that Atticus Pund was solving in the book. It is cleverly plotted and there are word games involved. Alan Conway, who is bitter about becoming famous for writing mystery novels when all he ever wanted to do was write literary novels (which were really quite terrible), plays games with his readers in all nine books in the series.

It was an entertaining read with an interesting ending, which I won't spoil here. It's not what I expected, but it's more realistic than a fairy tale ending.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

This is Book 2 of the Percy Jackson series. I am reading the series with my 10 year old son, so we are reading it out loud, alternating every chapter (or couple of pages, depending on the evening). I am starting to really like the main characters, Percy, Tyson, Annabeth, Chiron and Grover. I am still not as invested as I was in the Harry Potter series, but I am enjoying it. I would guess that the farther we get into the series, my investment will grow however. It usually does with series of books.

The prophecy is what intrigues me the most of course. I assume that Percy is the the half-blood, or demi-god, that the prophecy refers to, but introducing Thalia into the mix gives it an interesting twist. She also, being the daughter of one of the Big Three, Zeus, could be the demi-god referred to in the prophecy. I am not sure how old she is (yet), but Percy has a couple of years before he turns 16 years old. I did like reading about the Sirens - and Annabeth's desire to hear them without killing herself, as well as the island of the Cyclops. I really don't remember much of Greek mythology at all, so I have been entertained reading about each god or monster and the characteristics which make them unique.

It also doesn't hurt that some parts are funny. Tyson is a character. He shows his "youth" by the comments he makes and the way he looks up to Percy as a "big" brother. The story actually takes place in the United States. Mortals cannot be killed by the weapons of the gods & monsters; and the gods & monsters can't be killed by mere mortals. Of course Percy is both, so he can find himself in dangerous positions as half mortal, half god. This story takes place in New York and Miami, which is weird if you think about it! Anyway, Percy & gang is able to accomplish their quest - or actually Clarisse's quest - to recover the golden fleece, which was the main goal of Book Two. They needed the golden fleece to stop the poison from killing Thalia's tree. The ultimate goal of the series however is to save Mount Olympus from the titan Kronos, who we discover is Chiron's father. (Luke/Darth Vader similarities anyone?)

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Language of Sand by Ellen Block

This is a story about grief, how to work through it and get beyond it so that you can maintain a life on the other side of losing someone you love. At the end of this book, Abigail, who is a lexicographer by profession, is stuck between the objectivity of the word "grief" and her own feelings of grief. On page 242: Dictionaries were intended to be impartial and exact, yet the act of defining a word reflected the passions and prejudices of the definer. A dictionary is supposed to be beyond subjectivity, yet the best dictionaries had come from those with the strongest personalities, the zealots and idealist who sought to teach and to preach, to politicize and to moralize. Abigail could try to be objective about her grief and acknowledge it for what it was, or she could define it by her own biases and feel it as it came.

Abigail leaves her home to become the lighthouse caretaker on Chapel Isle. She isn't as much running from her grief as she is searching for comfort in a place that her husband treasured. It's a huge change for her, to say the least. I like how she stuck it out, despite the "lighthouse ghost", the island thief, the hostility shown towards her by some of the islanders. There were some unique personalities on Chapel Isle, some of them dealing with their own grief. I thought they were very helpful to Abigail in the end. Abigail will never be "Abigail the Boston lexicographer" again, the way she was before the fire. After spending time on the island though, with it's eclectic population, she is able to re-invent herself into "Abby the lexicographer who reads romance novels and tends a broken down lighthouse".

I didn't really like or understand the story surrounding Sheriff Larner. It's the only element of the story that doesn't sit right with me. I get that Abigail doesn't report him because she wants him to let Nat go, but Sheriff Larner was in the wrong and Nat wasn't. So why can't the truth prevail over all? I am glad that Nat was released, but Sheriff Larner should have gotten what he deserved.

I sensed a relationship growing between Abigail and Nat, but I am glad that there was still so much distance between them in the end. Abigail needs to spend her time grieving, and although Nat isn't as rough around the corner as perceived by many, I didn't want the author to slap a relationship on them in this book. It does say that she is writing a sequel to this book though.... Of course this book was published in 2010, so if she wrote it, I am sure it's out there. I will have to research that. I would read it too.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian

I really like this author. I have only read a few of his books, but I have decided I need to read more of them. They are mysterious, yet not like a "murder mystery" or anything like that. His characters have some sort of disorder, mental health issue or just something "internal" going on - at least in the books I have read. It makes the stories very intriguing and unpredictable.

I did not know very much about parasomnia. I know that some people sleepwalk, but I didn't realize how dangerous it can be. It was hard to know who to trust; who to believe in this story. I thought the journal entries (the paragraphs in italics between each chapter) were incredibly informative about the writer's "journey" as a sleepwalker. Of course I thought I knew who was writing the entries. It was just one thing that I had wrong! I also didn't realize that sleepwalking could be "contained" or a sleepwalker could go into a sort of remission through the use of medication. Yet another use of Clonazepam. Who knew?

I didn't know what to think of Gavin Rikert. I didn't trust him, but I wanted to. I just wasn't sure if he was telling Lianna the truth about his relationship with Annalee. I didn't understand what had interrupted his relationship with Annalee if he wasn't initially involved with her sexually. Yet, I wanted to believe that he was telling Lianna the truth about that. Lianna obviously was falling in love with him, so I didn't want her to be involved with someone that may have been involved the death of her mother. In the end, Gavin was in-tangled in ways I did not predict. I was definitely worried about Lianna spending the night with Gavin! I thought it was interesting that Lianna figured out a way to "manage" Gavin's sleep-sex.

I felt sorry for Lianna's father. First he has a sleep-sex sleepwalker for a wife. He had to deal with the sleep-sex, but also Annalee finding what she needed whenever he was out of town. I would not like to know that my spouse was having sleep-sex with anyone else, that's for sure. He must have loved her a lot to put up with that. Lianna's wonders about her father being the biological father of her sister. I was so happy that in the end she realizes that her sister is her father's daughter, regardless of who contributed the sperm. 

So, I learned a lot about sleepwalking, SRV, SBS and how a polysomnogram works. I learned that I am glad I am not a sleepwalker and that no one in my family is!

Wendy's Rating: ****

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

Susannah Cahalan's experience makes me wonder how many people have erroneously been hospitalized for mental health issues when they had a virus that affected their brain. 

This story reminded me of another true story. The paralympian, Victoria Arlen, who competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2017, got sick at age 11.  She regained the ability to walk after spending nearly a decade paralyzed from the waist down. She went from being a healthy 11 year old to living in a vegetative state. Victoria lost the ability to speak, eat, walk and move. Doctors believed she had little chance of survival, let alone recovery. She was eventually diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, autoimmune disorders that caused swelling in her brain and spinal cord. If she had been correctly diagnosed in 2006, a steroid injection could have prevented it all. Victoria also spent time in a "psych ward". It's pretty scary to think of the people who have been found "mentally ill" and been "secured" in a mental institution or a locked psych ward when it could have been a physical illness or disorder. 

Both of these stories show the importance of not giving up when something odd happens to someone you love. Fortunately for both Susannah and Victoria, their parents were relentless in their pursuit of answers, even though it meant consulting several "expert" doctors. I definitely was annoyed with the neurologist that Susannah first met with! It made me angry that he kept focusing on her "drinking problem." She told him she drank a couple of glasses of wine per night, and yet he wrote in his notes that she drank a couple of bottles per night. What a loser. They lost precious time seeing that quack.

This experience was reported in detail, not because Susannah remembered it, but because her parents, especially her father, took notes during the experience. She also had doctor's notes, her own writing and videos from her hospitalization. All of these things lend more credibility to what actually happened than a regular memoir. Everyone experiences events differently, from their own perspective. Susannah was able to report a lot of facts, rather than just memories, in her story.

I was incredibly impressed with her boyfriend at the time, who I believe is her husband now. They were very young (early 20's) and had not even dated that long. Can you imagine staying around through this whole experience? I would guess that not a lot of young men would have stayed. He had no idea that she would ever "recover". For all he knew, his girlfriend just went off the deep end with no chance of recovery. I was disappointed that Susannah's parents were not able to sustain their "supportive relationship" with each other after Susannah regained her life. Whatever their problem is, let it go!! There are so many more important things in life than holding on to bitterness and resentment. Like their daughter!

Wendy's Rating: ****

One Second After by William R. Forstchen

This is one scary book! The fact that this could happen at any time is positively frightening! It made me want to stock up on medical supplies, medications and canned foods. I always think about war as only damaging the areas that are directly involved, or directly "hit". To think that this type of war could wipe us out without any initial blood shed is mind-blowing.

I like how this book explored decisions based on morality as well as the decisions based on what's better for the greater good. It would have been incredibly difficult for the pharmacist and the doctor, who both stood their ground against John when he was so desperately trying to get more insulin for his daughter. He was a well known and important man in his community, yet they had to treat him like everyone else. Also, John did his own "looting" (although for the most part, too late), even while it was being condemned by community leaders. I know I would have done the same thing if that was the way to try to save my family.

It was interesting how John's input, which was indeed valuable, involved his knowledge of history. I wouldn't have thought that a history professor would bring much value to a situation like this, but he certainly did. We do need to learn from the past successes and past mistakes/defeats in war time. I liked how the town leaders decided to let people walk through their town (the "outsiders") instead of trying to barricade the town. There would have been a lot more deaths early on if they had tried to keep everyone out. Also John's idea about letting the Posse in, in order to trap them, was scary but brilliant. It's sad that so many of the students died - as well as community leaders - in the process, but freedom from tyranny comes with a price.

This was a sad book; an eye-opening book. I hope our government is making a plan for survival if this ever happens.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

I have been meaning to read another novel by this author since I read Ordinary Grace several years ago. I decided to start at the beginning, with Iron Lake, his first novel. I am not sure what I was expecting, but Cork O'Connor was a little more "flawed" than I thought he would be! But, his life experiences were real, which made him real. Shooting and killing someone (even as the sheriff) is obviously going to affect a man. I can see how that would cause a chain-reaction: losing his job, losing his marriage, losing his way. I guess this book explains the end of his old life and the beginning of a new life.

Since Cork is part Anishinaabe Indian, the book explores different Indian beliefs, myths and superstitions. Some of the story takes place within an Indian Reservation and details the ownership and rights of Indian Casinos. Cork is respected by the Indian population and because of that, he is able to investigate things that other people would not be able to. Of course Cork is also part Irish, so he is not 100% welcomed onto the Reservation, Casino and Indian politics, which made it more difficult for him to figure out what was going on after the Judge was murdered and the paperboy disappeared.

At first I was shocked that Cork was sleeping with Molly, when his intelligent, beautiful wife was living at home with their children. After awhile though, I really started liking Molly and understanding where she fit into Cork's life. Especially after finding out about Jo and Sandy! I was genuinely shocked and saddened about what happened to Molly. I think she was really good for Cork. I guess I wish that would have ended differently. I am actually looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see where things are between Cork and Jo. Good riddance to Sandy! I trusted Cork's instinct about him, even though Jo didn't (at first). What a scumbag.

I am already attached to Cork, flawed as he is. ;) I guess that's what makes a good mystery series. 

Wendy's Rating: ****

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

For some reason, I had a hard time reading this novel even though everyone I know who has read it, loved it. I think it's because I have a hard time reading about custody battles between birth mothers and adoptive parents. There are no "happy endings" in these cases and my heart always breaks for the child involved and the mothers/parents involved. It was hard for me to keep reading after finding out the details of the McCullough's infertility issues and how much they loved Mirabelle and what good parents they were to her. But finding out how difficult it was for Bebe, not knowing the language, not having any support or knowing there were available resources to help her, well, that broke my heart too. I wasn't sure I could stomach the custody battle results! After a few days break, I picked up the book again and read the last 200+ pages straight through. I can't say I was completely surprised by the judge's decision (on the other hand, I was), but I was certainly surprised by Bebe's response! I thought it was ironic that the McCullough's decided to adopt a baby from China after all of that, knowing that it would be unlikely for any birth parents to try to get their baby back. In the end, I felt good about both Bebe and the McCulloughs I guess. At least satisfied.

I am not sure how I feel about Mia and the Ryans though. Again, my heart breaks for the Ryans! I wonder if they believed Mia when she told them the baby had died. Do they have any idea that they have a daughter?? Being a mother, who could never donate my eggs to someone else because that would be "my" child, I understand why Mia took Pearl away from her "parents". I think surrogacy is a wonderful thing for women to do for people with infertility issues though - and Mia had a contract with the Ryans. Also, Pearl is the biological daughter of Mr. Ryan! I guess Mia was naive and desperate for money, but it wasn't right for her to take the baby and run. The Ryans have as much of a right to Pearl than Mia does. So that makes me sad.

Finally, the Richardsons. Although I understand the reasoning, from Izzy's perspective, behind burning down the family home, I find it deeply disturbing that she would do so. I also find it odd - and concerning - that Mia would take in a 15 year old who has run away from her family. Elena loves Izzy as much as Mia loves Pearl. You would think that someone as intuitive as Mia would know that! I wish that Elena could have expressed her fears about losing Izzy to Izzy - or at least her husband - so that the family better understood the relationship between Elena and Izzy. Fortunately, I believe whole-heartedly that Elena will find Izzy. She is a good investigator!

So, in the end, I guess I liked the book. It's not an ending that wraps everything up with a nice little bow, but I can live with that. Some future decisions were inferred, which made things better (like Pearl meeting the Ryans and her grandparents; Elena finding Izzy).

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

The first chapters of this book sucked me right in. The story starts with a tight group of friends finding out that two of their own have drowned while celebrating their wedding anniversary. The reader doesn't know the group (self-named The Castaways) yet, so we discover their reactions before we understand the relationships. Once the relationships are exposed - and that's truly what it is, an exposure - I started feeling disturbed by the secret relationships going on between these four couples. It just seems like some relationships should be sacred - life your best friend's marriage - but it seemed like each member of The Castaways were married to one person, but "preoccupied" by someone's else's spouse. It gave me an icky feeling. There were some exceptions though. Both the Chief and Jeffrey seems like good, honest, faithful men. All of the women were a mess!

Eventually though, as you keep reading, you start understanding these relationships better - and why everyone reacted the way they did to Greg & Tess' deaths. An important factor is how much Greg & Tess were loved by the rest of the group. They were the young, beautiful couple. Greg was a musician that women lusted after. Tess was beautiful, kind and a wonderful mother. Their deaths created a deep sense of loss, as well as guilt and anger. I didn't particularly like any of the Castaways (except maybe the Chief and Tess), so I was really surprised how much I liked the ending. It took awhile, but eventually this group was able to think of someone other than themselves. They started to heal in their own ways. They were (finally) open and honest about their secret relationships and what they did that made them feel responsible for Greg & Tess' deaths. It was a little weird that everyone let Phoebe off the hook for giving Tess that pill (that represents itself like heroin) to "help her relax". In my opinion, she was the only person who legitimately should feel partially responsible for what happened to Greg & Tess on their boat. But the rest of the group took her confession in stride, like it wasn't a big deal. I thought it was a really big deal!

Ultimately, this is a story of acceptance and forgiveness and friendship. Amazingly, each of the couples seemed happier at the end than they ever did when Greg & Tess were still alive. It wasn't my favorite Elin Hilderbrand novel, but the ending made it a worthwhile read.

Wendy's Rating: ***1/2

Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah's earlier novels, like this one, focus on family relationships at home. This one hit close to home for me. Marrying young, putting every one's needs before my own for too many years, so that after a couple of decades, I didn't even know who I was as a person. You lose sight of your own passions and interests. You lose confidence in your natural talents. I completely understood what Elizabeth was going through.

Jackson was incredibly self-centered. I think many successful athletes are. They need that kind of focus to excel in their sport. It takes drive, persistence and an intense competitive spirit to be a star athlete. I admired Elizabeth for keeping their marriage and family together all of those years, because Jackson really didn't have a very large investment in it. I did understand his self-doubt after he fell out of the lime light. People like that ARE their talent, and when they lose it, they don't know who they are.

Elizabeth was so strong to take a step back from her life and spend the time necessary to figure out who she was and what she wanted in her life. I love that Anita showed up on her doorstep and forced Elizabeth to finally develop a relationship with her. I am not sure why her dad thought it would be better to stay quiet about Elizabeth's mother. I believe that it was this decision that put up a road-block between Elizabeth and Anita. If she had known the truth all along, Elizabeth could have more readily accepted Anita in her life.

I think their time apart (Elizabeth & Jackson) made their family stronger (especially Jackson's relationship with their daughters), their personal relationship stronger and it made them each stronger as individuals. I wasn't sure how they would come to terms with their two "homes" on different coasts - but I hoped they would give their marriage another chance. They didn't exactly meet in the middle regarding their residence, but I think they both won in the end.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris

I read this book in two sittings. I would have read it in one, but I needed to go to bed! It is fast-paced and disturbing. It is really well-written, moving between the past and the present, although the difference in time between "past" and "present" is only 15 months or so.

I love how Grace thought things through. She was always trying to outsmart Jack, which would not have been an easy thing to do! I love how she never gave up and never succumbed to depression, which many people would have in her situation. Millie was awesome! She had this innate sense that something was wrong with Grace - and came up with a solution. Kudos to her! She truly saved her sister's life - and her own. The George Clooney saying was brilliant! "I like you Jack but I don't like Jorj Koony". Jake may have been incredibly intelligent, but a young girl with Down's Syndrome pulled one over on him. I knew without a doubt that he had pushed her down the stairs at the time it happened - and certainly that is why he wouldn't let Grace see Millie before their honeymoon. I think Grace handled Millie really well by letting her see that she was scared and unhappy, but not allowing Millie to take any responsibility for what ultimately happened.

The whole message-in-the-book thing was great. Again, Grace thought through the situation before acting on it. Jack was really, really good at trapping her. As time went on, Grace got better about seeing the traps. And then there was Esther! It was hard to know what she was thinking, and it didn't seem like she liked Grace originally, but I was hoping she would see through Jack and help Grace. I did not predict how she would end up helping her though. I really loved the last chapter of this book. It was an extremely satisfying end. Jack got what was coming to him, trapped in "Millie's room" while dying of thirst. (Poor Molly! I knew exactly what Jack meant in Thailand when he told Grace that there was no housekeeper. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately because she couldn't have done anything about it anyway, Grace did not understand what his comment meant until they arrived home.)

Anyway, I really loved this book! Despite the disturbing subject matter, it's a must read!

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard

This is the second book I have read about the girls working and living in Oak Ridge, TN during the top secret mission of building an atomic bomb to end WWII. They are very different from each other. The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan is a biography. It is a true story of some of the women and scientists who lived in Oak Ridge during this time. It is a mix of the women's lives there - and very detailed scientific explanations of what the scientists were doing (meaning, how to build an atomic bomb). This book, The Atomic City Girls, is fiction. It does include actual pictures taken in Oak Ridge at the time, although the pictures don't really match the story that is unfolding, which is weird.

This was the easier book to read for sure! It's actually a very quick read. There are basically two story lines: June, a young white woman (18) who goes to Oak Ridge for employment. Her older sister already works there. It's odd that her sister is rarely mentioned. I forgot she even had a sister until "Mary" is mentioned again at the end of the book. Anyway, the second storyline is about Joe, a black man who goes to Oak Ridge so he can support his wife and three children back home.

What's interesting is that the characters I liked the most, June and Joe, didn't seem to understand the significance of what was happening at the time. June was in love with Sam, but Sam couldn't accept the consequences of the US sending the atomic bombs to Japan to end the war. He was a mess, but I totally understood why - and June did not. She was focused on his drinking too much. She didn't see WHY he was drinking so much. Sam was deeply disturbed about killing innocent people - and the aftermath of the survivors of the bomb (basically, a slow death vs. a quick death). It was frustrating to me that she couldn't think past Sam's drinking.

Then there was Joe, who couldn't understand what Ralph was fighting for. Ralph saw the injustice of the way the black people were treated - their pay, their housing, their food, their entertainment - in comparison to the white people living at Oak Ridge. Ralph was fighting for what was right, in a peaceful manner none-the-less. Joe just wanted Ralph to accept the way things were - not rock the boat.  So, even though I liked June and Joe's characters the most, I thought they were both naive. The only character I really disliked (intensely) was Cici. Love must be blind, considering that Tom seemed like a really good guy and he married her. 

I liked the book. It gave a good overview of why everyone was there - and the difference between how white people were treated there vs. black people. Through Sam, it talks about the negative impact on innocent lives and it also describes how excited people were that the war was over after the bombs were dropped, which would be the common sentiment of the average person who didn't understand the damage done to Japan.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes

Another enjoyable read by Jojo Moyes. This one didn't leave me sobbing at the end, like "Me Before You", and that's okay. I can only take so many books like that! Early on the reader realizes that Mike is engaged to the wrong person for him. He has feelings for Liza almost instantly - which is a bad sign when you are engaged to your boss' daughter. I was hoping that Vanessa would realize the same thing - that Mike wasn't the man for her - but unfortunately, she wasn't willing to let him go. I hated that she promised him that she would make sure the development would not go through if he returned to her. Why would you want a man who loved another woman anyway??

I couldn't really figure out what Liza was running from. At first I thought it was an abusive husband (like in Sleeping With the Enemy). Then I thought she killed her abusive husband and she was running from the law. I couldn't really believe that she had killed her younger daughter. I thought maybe she was driving the car that killed her daughter. But would she really run away from that? It didn't seem likely. I thought it was really interesting that she thought she was in hiding but Steven knew where she was the entire time. That was a twist I didn't see coming.

I was happy that Kathleen finally came to her senses and married Nino! That was a long time coming. This book had a happy ending, which isn't always the case these days. True love conquers all, and all that. Hopefully the whale population will eventually recover. Do humans ever learn from their previous mistakes?? So many animals come close to extinction due to humans hunting them for profit. It happens again and again. Apparently when money is involved, there are always people who don't care about the long-term consequences of their actions.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I bought this book for my 10 year old son to read, and decided to read it myself. After all, I loved Harry Potter! It is similar to Harry Potter in that Percy & Harry have two best friends that help them on their quest; their home life is challenging; they don't know their own strengths or where they really come from; they don't know who to trust. There is also a summer camp (similar to Hogwarts) where Percy can learn skills with others like him.

What is different is that Percy's story deals with Greek mythology - which I remember next to nothing about! The last time I took a Greek mythology class was when I was starting High School, a very long time ago! Fortunately, the author explains who all of the gods are and what they represent throughout the novel. Percy finds out that he is a demigod (half god/half human) and that he is the only son of Poseidon (since the gods promised not to sire anymore children with humans).

Percy's quest in this book is to find out who stole Zeus' master lightning bolt and return it to him before the summer solstice and pending war between the gods. Although this is a major feat in itself, it is a small problem in the big scheme of things. Evil is lurking in the name of Kronos (Voldemort-like) who is fighting his way to becoming relevant again - by using others to do his evil deeds. That will be the main battle in this series of books. One of Percy's "friends" at camp is actually working for Kronos. (Which becomes obvious as an adult reading this book - but I don't know if all children would pick up on it).

I like Percy and his friends, Annabeth and Grover. What is a tad unique though is that Annabeth and Grover have their own quests. They help Percy in this novel, but I'm not sure if they both come into play in the next one. Grover becomes the seeker he wanted to be - and leaves in search of Pan. Annabeth returns home to be with her father & step-mother. I'm pretty sure we will see Annabeth again, but I'm really not sure about Grover. I ordered the next four books though, so I guess I will find out!

Wendy's Rating: ****

Falling Home by Karen White

This was a good summer read. This was one of Karen White's early novels (first published in 2002) and then revised and published again in 2010. I think it would be interesting to read the original novel, simply to see what revisions she made.

What is unique is that the catalyst for the sisters' 15 year long separation - Harriet's elopement with Joe - is never fully explained. We know that Cassie was in love with Joe, and I think dating him, but it's hard to know the timeline of events. Her younger sister, Harriet, also falls in love with Joe - and then they elope. The details are not included surrounding these events. All we know is that Cassie leaves home after the elopement and moves to New York.

Flash ahead 15 years and their father is dying. Cassie returns home for the first time to say goodbye to her father. Even though Cassie is engaged to someone (Andrew), she really only realizes that she no longer loves Joe when she sees him again and there is no "spark". Fifteen years is a long time to hold on to something like that! Yikes. Besides the fact that Harriet and Joe truly love each other and have a strong connection - and 5 kids!

Then enter Dr. Sam Parker - and an instant sexual attraction for Cassie - and the story moves along in a predictable manner. The story being predictable didn't detract from my enjoyment of reading it though. That's what summer reads are all about! As with most Karen White novels, the ending is a mixture of sadness and happiness. What I liked though is that Cassie did not give up her passion for her job - she doesn't sacrifice herself and her interests - for the people that she loves. Sometimes you just have to work harder to find a solution when there doesn't seem to be one. There are lots of shades between black and white. You have to think outside the box, which Cassie did in the end. 

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Six : The Lives of the Mitford Sisters by Laura Thompson

It's astonishing to me that I have never heard of any of the Mitfords! I realize that they were British, but they were connected to Winston Churchill, Hitler, the Kennedys - and Deborah even attended the wedding of Prince Charles & Diana. In addition to those connections, a few of the Mitfords were accomplished and successful authors. They were obviously talented, intelligent, beautiful and highly controversial. Yet, this is the first I heard about them. I was shocked that Unity spent so much time with Hitler and also that a Mitford relation married a Kennedy.

This was a family of extremists. I certainly believe that highly intelligent people think outside the box - and they don't really care about what others think of them. I can also understand why the seven children in this family would have some difficulties in their relationships with each other and their parents. The most interesting thing - and maybe it was simply due to the time and their social class - but it astounds me that these Mitford women, as strong as they were, would allow the men in the lives to treat them so horribly. They seemed to gravitate toward men who were blatantly unfaithful. I thought that was odd.

In the end I had a good idea of who each of these women were, but I thought the way it was written was confusing. Several things are mentioned several times, but not necessarily in order. For example, the author references the books that Nancy and Diana wrote - and compared the characters in the books to family members so many times, that each time I thought the book was written about the same time as the reference. But no. This book jumps around a lot in time - which means it jumps around a lot when talking about the conflicts between the sisters, as well as the conflicts between Sydney and her daughters.
After awhile I stopped trying to connect the dots. It jumps back and forth and all around when explaining each of the daughters, each of their relationships, each of their political beliefs, connections, hardships, successes, marriages, miscarriages, births, deaths, etc. I would be hard-put to assemble a timeline of all of these events!

Being an American who was not alive during WWII, I have no idea what I would have thought if I lived in Britain in the 1930s. I thought all of the different political beliefs of this one family was interesting though. Fascism, Communism, support of Germany as a country, support of Hitler as a anti-Semitic..... Crazy.

This was an interesting book, but like I previously said, confusing.

Wendy's Rating: ***

Year One by Nora Roberts

First of all, I did not know that Nora Roberts has written over 200 novels! I also did not know she writes under the pen name JD Robb. I have actually read some JD Robb novels and didn't realize it was her. How does someone write so prolifically? She is definitely a good storyteller. I can't believe I haven't read any of her books (other than JD Robb) before.

Even though this book isn't about zombies, it reminded me of The Walking Dead. A group of people traveling together, trying to figure out who they can trust, killing when they have to, using the strengths of each person, having a clear leader, who some in the group resents. Also like The Walking Dead, some of my favorite characters die. It's really hard when one of the lead characters dies - whether in a book or a TV show, especially when it's so unexpected. I am sad about that.

I was stunned when Lana was forced to leave New Hope behind - and on her own! She had built a home there, with people she loved and trusted. Does she ever see anyone from New Hope again?? Will we find out what happens to Rachel, Jonah, Arlys, Fred and company? I sure hope so! It's weird that you invest all that time and storyline with them and then Lana runs and she is all we know about when the book ends. 

I was upset about Max of course, but I really like Simon.  For some reason, Fallon needed to be conceived by Max and raised by Simon. I like the prophecy element of the story. Also, there is a clear-cut line drawn between good (light) and evil (dark). Since I am a believer of good defeating evil in the end, I am eager to read the next book in this trilogy (?). Too bad it won't be out until December 2018! That is unfortunate.

Just like Harry Potter was connected to Voldemort (Good vs. Evil), Max - or really his daughter - is connected to his brother, Eric, who encompasses the dark power. So, eventually, it will be Fallon vs. Eric. Actually it's just like Luke vs. Anakin, who were also related. What's up with that? I guess when people have extraordinary powers, they are pulled to one extreme or the other - and power runs in families.

I really enjoyed this book. I love reading about the survivors of a new world. Everyone brings something different to the table. Cannot wait to read Book 2, "Of Blood and Bone".

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Dinner by Herman Koch

Yikes. I did not like the main characters in this book! One reviewer calls the book, "Funny, provocative, and exceedingly dark...."  I would simply call it disturbing. The reviews of this book reminds me of all the people that loved Dexter. I tried watching it on DVD and couldn't even make it through the first season. As much as I love reading and watching TV & movies about serial killers, I have come to the conclusion that I like watching the "good guys" catch the serial killers - not the serial killers themselves.

In the end, the only character that I really had any respect for was Serge. I certainly didn't see that coming when I started this book! Serge was portrayed as a self-serving and egocentric politician. Not a stretch really, when you think of the average politician. ;) When we finally accept that Serge's character has only been introduced to us via Paul, then a different opinion develops. The more I read, the less I liked Paul and the more I liked Serge. Even Babette, Serge's wife, annoyed me. She simply wanted Serge to be Prime Minister, no matter what her children did.

Paul, Claire and Michel were downright sinister. They were a family of psychopaths. Paul's anger and violent streaks were disturbing. None of them valued human life. Paul as a narrator was incredibly annoying as well. Constantly referring to things but then saying that he wasn't going to explain it because it was none of our business. Annoying. So, we don't know why Claire spent time in the hospital (woman's trouble?) and we don't know what Paul was diagnosed with (Psychopathy?) We really don't know Beau's involvement in the whole thing, although he may certainly have been blackmailing Michel and Rick. Was Rick a psychopath too (family genetics and all)? I really don't think so. I think Michel was the dominant leader in that relationship. I believed Babette when she said Rick was home and struggling with the events that happened. How would you like to have a sociopath for a best friend/cousin??

The book was set up in chapters that represented courses of a meal. This is an interesting concept. Truthfully though, I couldn't even appreciate the concept because of how much I hated Claire, Paul and Michel by the end of the book.

Wendy's Rating: **

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

It's difficult for me to believe that people can treat children like they are a commodity to be bought and sold. Then, add the fact that the children already have parents, but are simply stolen from them. Two things don't ring true to me about Georgia Tann's "philosophy" of taking children from poor families to give them to rich families so they have a better life. First of all, Georgia abused them - and allowed them to be abused by others. She only seemed to care about the "blond, blue or brown-eyed" children who were cute. So why did she bother taking others? She certainly didn't take care of them. You would think they were more of a burden to her if she didn't see them as adoptable. Look at Camellia. She was left behind simply because she had brown hair. Then she was raped and killed. So why take her in the first case? Secondly, since Georgia Tann treated children like a commodity, why not take care of them? If her sole (true) purpose was to make money, why not protect the product? What if an important person stopped by the Home and saw the children as they normally were: skinny, dirty and smelly. 

It's sad that they never found Gabion or Judy's twin. With Cammelia presumably dead, Gabby was the child that Rill/May really wanted to find. No one knew if Judy's twin survived. There would have been no truthful birth record regardless, since the parents were told both babies died. If the twin lived, he most likely never knew he was even adopted. He would have been impossible to find. Gabion, however, was a toddler and the sisters loved him very much. Rill/May never stopped looking for him. I actually thought they would find him by the end of the book. I was disappointed by that, but at least they found "Stevie". I am glad his life turned out well, all things considered.

I was incredibly sad that Queenie died - and that Briny went off the deep end - but I am glad that Rill and Fern escaped their adopted home briefly to figure that out for themselves. I am SO happy that Rill returned to her new "family" too. I think Rill would have prevented herself from accepting her new family forever if she thought her parents were still alive and exactly how she left them. Obviously it was a tragedy that these children were taken from their parents that loved them so much. Once Queenie died though, Briny was in no state to provide a home for his kids.

Trent and Avery's love story was apparent from the beginning, but I am glad that Avery took the time to figure that out. Elliot and Avery were obviously very close friends, but they both knew in the end that their relationship was more of a friendship than husband & wife.

All those children in the hands of that evil woman. A very sad part of history that I didn't even know happened until reading this book. I had no idea who was who in the book until it was spelled out for me, except for May of course. I thought that Judy was related some way, but I had forgotten about the twins. (Which is odd since I never really believed that they died in the first place). 


Wendy's Rating: ****

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. I am not really interested in reading "feminist books", to be honest. But, while the book centered around the "women's movement", it was more about relationships. Relationships between women, between family members, between men and women. It's also about the "path" people choose to follow when they are young, and about the diversions in that intended path and how each person responds to those diversions.

There are two main characters: Faith, the women's movement mentor, and Greer, the intelligent college student who lives on the outside of society due to her limited family support. There are some strong supporting characters though too: Cory, Greer's longtime immigrant boyfriend, Zee, her lesbian best friend from college and Emmett, a womanizing millionaire (thanks to his wife!) The author gives us history on each of these characters, which adds a lot to the reader's investment of each person - and the relationships between each of them.

There are a couple of important messages. First of all, no one should be placed on a pedestal. There is only one way to go when you are standing on a pedestal, and that is down. Greer puts Faith up there, and then is devastated when she finds out Faith has "sold out" to the people funding her foundation. All people are flawed in some way. To have an idealistic view of any human is unreasonable - and bound to cause hurt and disappointment at some point. The second message is that you should make the best of your life no matter what derails you from your original path. 

Each character learns something important in their journey through life. Most of them end up in a different place than they thought they would. Most of them are happier for it. Some broken relationships are repaired and survive; some don't. Disappointments, heartbreak, anger, ignorance about another's intentions - these are things we all go through at times in our lives. What matters is what we do about them. Do we let it cripple us, or change direction?

The book has a bit of a slow start, but continue reading because it's worth it.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

This was a fascinating book. I will never think about Albert Einstein the same way again. Brilliant people are always unique. I loved reading about him as a young man. He was charming and smart and persistent. He didn't care what other people thought of him. I love how he pursued Mileva tirelessly and collaborated with her for so many years. It's makes sense that he would fall in love with a brilliant mathematician. Being unconventional, it would have been difficult for him to find a job to support a wife and children. In the end, he did defy his parent's wishes by marrying Mileva, but he certainly did not do her justice. His reluctance - and unwillingness - to meet his daughter is inexcusable in my opinion. That's where he lost my understanding and support. Just because you are a genius, it doesn't give you the right to treat people like crap - especially the woman you profess to love.

It makes sense to me that he would make his collaboration with Mitza his own ideas. It mattered back then that Mitza didn't have a degree. I didn't see him as a insecure man in general, but his difficulty in finding a job must have knocked him down a few pegs. I think he was jealous of Mitza's intelligence, even though that is what drew him to her in the first place. Men back then did not publicly work together with their wife to come up with things like the Theory of Relativity. (Unless you are the husband of Madame Curie!)

I did not know that Albert Einstein had two wives. I also didn't know that he married his cousin. It's incredibly sad to me that Albert stopped treasuring what he loved about Mitza in the first place. It seems like he felt threatened by her intelligence. He valued her mind, yet he couldn't support it publicly, which made him a smaller man in my eyes.

So, did this book change my perception of Einstein? Certainly. How could it not? He made significant contributions to physics - and our understanding of it. But now I know/suspect that he had help from "the other Einstein". Let's give credit where credit is due.

I am happy that he followed through with their divorce settlement and gave her the Nobel Prize money. It was also interesting that he paid for her care until she died. It's sad that their younger son was mentally ill. There is such a fine line between genius and mental illness. How tragic that Tete fell on the side of mental illness.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

I think it's interesting that people want to escape their lives by moving to Alaska - the last frontier. I would guess that most of them don't know what they are getting into! Certain people choose to live off the grid.There are always people that believe that America is going to hell in a hand basket. There are people who build their bomb shelters or live off the land, rejecting the creature comforts of America. There are people who live with provisions for the end of the world; who have gas masks in store for their family members; who are preparing for, or are prepared for, doomsday. Ernt's life was a tragedy. By Cora's account, he was a family man who adored his wife and daughter when he went off to Vietnam. The veterans from that war were thrown back into a world that despised them for going to Vietnam. America's participation in this war was considered a blight on our country. Not only did Ernt have PTSD, he had zero support from his country, despite being a veteran. Then, on top of that, battered women had no defense. People had the attitude that domestic abuse was a "private family matter". That nothing could be done. Heck, even now domestic abuse and child abuse occurs constantly - despite America's vast understanding of abuse! I read about a 6 year old being beaten to death by his caregivers in this morning's paper!

There is an extremely fine line between supporting someone with a mental illness and protecting yourself from someone you love that has a mental illness. I actually understood Cora when she said she couldn't leave Ernt because he would never give up looking for her. And when he found her, there would be hell to pay. What an impossible situation. Cora loved the man Ernt was before Vietnam. She refused to abandon him. She needed help to run away from him, but by doing that, she would jeopardize the safety of anyone who helped her. I had to keep putting down the book because I was so afraid that he would kill one of the Walkers. The relief I felt when Cora killed him to protect Leni was almost a physical sensation for me!  All I could think of was "it's about frickin time"!

The Walkers were amazing. I really loved all of them. How traumatic for Matthew to lose his mother that way. It's interesting that Leni had the same sense of responsibility and love of Matthew that her mother had for Ernt. You can't deny that their love for people ran very deep. They both had a difficult time knowing when to protect themselves, since it meant leaving the man they loved. The Walkers had a lot of bad things happen to them, yet they remained loving, caring, generous people. Of course I need to mention Large Marge too! She was awesome. Where would they have been without her?? She taught them so much about living in Alaska - and aided in their survival. Then, when TSHTF, she certainly came through for Cora and Leni. What an interesting thing - the use of TSHTF in the book! I have never seen an expression like that used repeatedly in a book. Ernt must have said it a lot!

Kristin Hannah writes such different type of books. Her themes are so different. She doesn't choose one part of the USA or another country as her settings either. They are different settings, different eras, different stories. This was an emotional read for me - especially after Cora killed Ernt. I did not put the book down again. I was extremely happy that Matthew survived, despite his scars and chronic pain. He deserved a happy ending - and I know he made the best life he could for himself, Leni and their children.

Wendy' Rating: *****

Marcel's Letters by Carolyn Porter

Who knew that people spend months/years developing fonts by hand? Not me! Never once have I thought about a font being anything but a computer-generated style of writing. There must be a very small population with this particular skill set! It sounds like very tedious work. I am detail-oriented for sure, but this would put me over the edge.

Not only did I not know that people develop fonts by hand - and have them critiqued by font specialists - but I had never heard of STO. I have read so many books about World War II - fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction - but I have never read a book about the French men that were forced laborers in Germany at such major companies such as Daimler, BMW, Siemens, Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi, Kodak and Hugo Boss, to name a few. They were forced to leave their families in France to "work" in Germany, yet their accommodations, food, clothing were only marginally better than the prisoners at the concentration camps. They were promised leaves that never happened. They could be sent to one of the "extermination camps" at any time for any infraction. Since they were living in Germany, they were bombed by the allies toward the end of the war. It's incredible that some of them survived.

The perseverance of Carolyn Porter to find out whether Marcel survived the war was pretty amazing. Even more amazing was the network of people that formed around her in this mission to find Marcel and his family. This ten year project resulted in some pretty awesome discoveries - and friendships. (As a side note, her husband was extremely patient during this process - and I loved how much they loved their dogs!)

In the end, this is a love story between Marcel and Renee. I am happy that Carolyn and Aaron got to meet their daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren - although I am sad that there is a rift in the family. Hopefully that will be mended. They all seemed like wonderful, caring, loving people. 

I will now be on the lookout for the P22 Marcel Script! I still don't understand what "kerning" is, but I hope Carolyn is satisfied with her development of this skill. ;)

Wendy's Rating: ****

Karolina's Twins by Ronald H. Balson

I wanted to read this book because it was written by Ronald H. Balson and I loved Once We Were Brothers. What I didn't realize is that Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart are characters in this book too! It reads more like a series now, especially since Sophie (from Saving Sophie - RHB's other novel) is mentioned at the end of this book. I really like Catherine & Liam, so I am fine with that.

I really didn't like Arthur at all. I tried to put myself in his shoes, and believe that he only cared about the well-being of his mother, but it didn't really come across that way. He seemed like a jerk to me. Trying to get his polished and well-spoken mother - who certainly did not have any memory issues associated with old age - legally labeled as "mentally disabled". Honestly. And I detested his lawyer!

I hate secrets!! I want to know what the secret is asap - and then let the story unfold. Waiting until the very end to find out what Lena was hiding was painful. The conclusion was the only thing that makes sense though. There would be no other secret that would affect Arthur - so I didn't understand why Lena was holding back information - until I knew what the secret was. I DID cross my mind earlier in the story that Lena was the mother to the twins, but I moved on from that idea due to the way Lena told her story. I still want to know whose idea it was to throw the girls from the train. I guess is makes sense that it was Karolina, since she is the one who could not live with the decision afterward. Plus, as a mother, you would want to hang on to your children as long as possible, which Lena did with Rachel. It's complicated though because Catherine (or Liam? I can't remember now) said to switch the actions/events between Lena & Karolina. So who knows really.

This was actually the 5th book I have read about the Holocaust/wartime in 2018 - and it's only March 5! It's weird how certain subjects get lumped together without intent. And I still have one more to go (Marcel's Letters). Anyway, stories about Nazi Germany are incredibly disturbing. My mind has a difficult time accepting that people could treat each other that way - even though I know it is still going on today in other countries. Again, I read these books not because of the atrocities of Hitler and the Nazis, but because of the incredibly brave men and women (including Germans) that worked with the resistance, hid Jewish people, fed them, helped them escape - despite the risk to themselves and their own families. It's astounding. All of it.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

This was my first Agatha Christie book. I thought I should read it before I saw the movie remake, even though I knew who committed the murder. It's crazy to think that it was written in 1934. I think it's interesting that Poirot and the doctor discuss the type of weapon, the depth of the blows (some "glancing" and some strong enough to sever blood vessels), right-handed stabs vs. left-handed stabs. It was like reading an episode of CSI. ;) 

I thought it was clever how AC strung the reader along. The kidnapping and murder of Daisy Armstrong was mentioned in relation to Samuel Ratchett, but no one else seemed tied to it. Poirot spent time thinking about the eclectic group of people gathered together on the train: an Italian chauffeur, an English governess, a Swedish nurse, a French lady's amid, etc and came to the conclusion that only in America would there be a household comprised of so many different nationalities.

Poirot proposes two theories to the assembled group about who committed the murder - and the timing of it all. After laying out both theories, it was decided unanimously that the first theory would be presented to the police. Now THAT would NOT happen on a CSI episode, where truth always wins out, no matter what the consequences. 

This was a quick read. An old-time detective novel. It was almost like playing a game of Clue. I enjoyed it and will definitely watch the movie now.

Wendy's Rating: ****

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

This story is set in a Chechnya village that is being terrorized by Russian soldiers on the lookout for Chechen rebels. This wasn't the easiest book to follow sometimes. Even though each chapter heading highlighted the year the events happened, it was still confusing at times. One thing that adds to the complexity is that you are introduced to each character as they appear towards the end of the story. As the story progresses, you go back in time and find out so much more about each character and they become much less one-dimensional. The main characters in this book cannot be labeled as "good" or "bad", "kind" or "evil". They all experience life-threatening experiences which change them forever. They make hurtful decisions at times. They are brave; they are scared; they succeed; they fail. Most of them are downright lonely. Another interesting technique the author uses is telling the future of the characters randomly, like how many more years they would live, or when they would die, or what they would end up doing. It wasn't foreshadowing, it was simply stated as a fact.

There are also the connections that you don't know about right away. Secret loves - and the babies/deaths that are the results of those relationships. Each character had some admirable traits - but also some rather deep flaws. The most misunderstood person in the book would be Khassan's son, Ramzan. Khassan & Akhmed obviously knew what had happened to Ramzan the first time he was taken to the Landfill, but they didn't seem to understand that most of his actions were a result of trying to always have access to the insulin and food that his father needed to stay alive. I also felt bad for Ramzan because his own father favored another man, who happened to be one of his best friends. I thought it was horrible that Ramzan betrayed his two best friends, among others, but when we find out what he did to save Dokka's life initially - in addition to his father's life - it just makes Ramzan's character complicated, not "evil". I liked Khassan, but I wished he would have loved Ramzan as much as Akhmed - and understood the reasons he did what he did.

I liked Sonja, as crabby as she was at times. I loved that she and Akhmed developed a relationship, short-lived as is was. (Unfortunately). Sonja carried the weight of the world on her shoulders - and many things did not turn out how she hoped it would. I felt sad that she lost everyone she cared for - except Havaa. I am so happy that Sonja and Havaa found each other.

Life: a constellation of vital phenomena - organization, irritability, movement, growth, reproduction, adaptation. What a perfect title for this book. The story itself is a great definition of what the title means. When the subject outlasts its experiment.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Never judge a book by its cover! This novel centers around three women - and the cover of the book has three women, arms locked together, walking along a path. I assumed the "lilac girls" were the three main characters. Boy was I wrong! I kept wondering how the German doctor would join forces with the Polish girl and the American to fight against Hitler and the Nazis. Ha! Not even close.

As most stories written about World War II, this story was disturbing, sad and enlightening. Up to the point in the story when Herta arrives for her new position at the "re-education camp" Ravensbruck, I felt bad for her. She was being sexually abused by her uncle - and her aunt apparently knew about it. She was a female doctor and wasn't even allowed to study surgery because she was female. When she showed up at Ravensbruck and seemed disturbed by some of the things she witnessed that first day, I thought for sure that if she stayed there, it would only be to try to save people. I still cannot believe how wrong I was! She was evil. She was a horrible person. To think that she operated on all of those healthy young girls, contaminating them with contagions, watching them suffer week after week - and then wanting them all executed to cover up what she did. I wanted her hung like the rest of her "colleagues". She didn't deserve to live after the physical abuse, emotional abuse and deaths she caused by her actions. They took away her medical license?? Big frickin deal.

Kasia was understandably slow to work through the abuse she suffered and the guilt she felt about her mother's death. I have to admit that I became very impatient with her though! After 12 years, she was STILL shutting out the people who loved her: her dad, her "stepmom", her husband, her daughter.... I felt like shaking some sense into her. She was so reluctant to support her beloved sister, Zuzanna, who just wanted to be happy with the man she loved and adopt a child, even after finding out that Zuzanna was sterilized at Ravensbruck. It was really hard to take after awhile. Zuzanna deserved to be happy. She had been through as much as Kasia. I wasn't sure how Kasia was going to handle her meeting with Herta - but I was proud of how she handled it. Although we had to wait until the last page of the book, Kasia was finally able to move forward with her life as a woman, wife and mother. It was a long wait though.

Caroline was amazing. I really, really liked her and her mother. They were both so fierce and relentless and kind and loving. Caroline made some interesting decisions along the way, but those decisions were true to her character. She was definitely a one-man woman! Once she met Paul, there would be no one else for her. I completely agreed with her decision to not be involved with him after his wife, Rena, was found alive, but I still felt incredibly sad for her. I am glad that they were "reunited" (at least that was the inference) at the end. I actually thought that she would adopt a child, even before we found out that Serge and Zuzanna were adopting a child. She wanted a baby so badly. That made me sad too, that she didn't get to marry the man she loved or have a baby with him. It was astounding that she persuaded all of the Polish woman (the rabbits) to meet with her, fly to America, consent to various surgeries, stay away from home and their families for several months before returning home to Poland. She must have been very persuasive and charismatic. I understood Kasia's fear about all of that.

What makes this book all the more remarkable is that most of the people were real: Herta Oberheuser and her fellow doctors, Caroline Ferriday and her family, the "rabbits".... Very well-written story.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

I am on a roll for reading books in January about strong, intelligent women! It's funny how books group-up like that, albeit unintentionally. 

Stephenie Meyer wrote the Twilight series, but she also wrote The Host, which I loved. There is no doubt that she is an entertaining storyteller. The protagonist, called "Alex" for the majority of this book, is a woman who used to work for the US Government. She has been on the run since her partner, another expert in their field of expertise, was murdered. She trusts no one. She kills when her safety is threatened. She is a trained interrogator, but I love how she tortures not only through the use of chemicals, but also with the suggestion of torture by simply staging tools of the trade that she never plans to use. (I don't mean to say that I love that she tortures people - just that an added element to her interrogation techniques involves psychological methods). Not sure if that explanation makes what I said more palatable or not! Ha!

This is a fast-paced story that involved twin brothers - one kind and one not - and a complicated plan to escape a death sentence that is being implemented by her former handler. Alex has to learn to trust other people along the way - and teach the "nice" twin to NOT trust everyone he meets - and correct his mistakes along the way.

I love the use of dogs in this story as well. The "evil" twin trains dogs to serve and protect those he assigns them to protect. Alex bonds with some of these dogs, which helps in her journey from hunted ex-agent to a person who is not afraid to build relationships with other people.

I will continue to read whatever story this author deems to tell!

Wendy's Rating: ****

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I love novels about strong, intelligent women. This book falls in that category. The story centers around two women with a strong friendship that develops over time. They really don't even see each other that much - with both of them having different jobs during WWII. Maddie is a pilot, fighting her way through a man's world of flying. She is fearless and persistent though, which serves her well in the end. The majority of this story is written from Maddie's perspective, although she is not the narrator. That is just one twist in this story. "Verity" is a spy - an incredibly intelligent and beautiful spy who speaks three languages fluently.

How these two women support each other in the worst of times is a testament to true friendship. Since one woman narrates 3/4 of the novel and the other 1/4, the story unfolds but the reader doesn't understand the nuances of what the first narrator is saying until the second narrator sheds light on the events from her perspective. There are definitely several twists to the story that I don't see coming.

Usually I feel free to reveal spoilers in my posts - people are warned about that, after all, in the heading of my Blog - but this time I don't want to ruin the impact of the true depth of this relationship. I read a lot of novels about World War II - but not to read about the evil of Hitler and the Nazis. I read them because I am fascinated by the incredibly strong and brave men, women and children who fought against Hitler - just because it was the right thing to do. Maddie & "Verity" are both strong characters, but there is no one stronger than "Verity". Loved her.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church

This book held a lot of meaning for me - on several levels.  Love can certainly be a weight that you bear, but it can also provide meaning by opening you up to life's possibilities. 

Meridian is an incredibly intelligent young woman who falls in love with a brilliant physicist. She falls in love with his intellect - and he hers. She sacrifices her individuality to marry him and support his scientific journey. I can't remember who says it, but I keep thinking about the comment made about people who can adapt have a higher IQ. I guess Alden adapts to the changes in his own work - but he really can't adapt to the changes he senses in Meridian as she starts to become an individual, separate from him. Although he adapts to Jasper without a second thought, which I found interesting - and shocking. Meridian adapts to all the changes in her life: leaving Chicago; leaving school; moving to Los Alamos; becoming a "housewife" in place of an intellectual sounding board for Alden; the whirlwind friendship of Belle - and her tragic death (did NOT see that coming!); Clay; Alden's slow death; the death of her precious crows; the death of her intellectual pursuit. All of these things just make her stronger in the end. She adapts and she moves forward. She leaves a legacy.

Alden infuriated me. I kept reminding myself that he was much older than Meridian and those were different times, but he still could have brought more meaning to her life just by simply communicating with her like he did when she was his student. Then, finding out they were millionaires and he leaves her a pittance to live on after he dies. How insulting is that?! It was incredibly satisfying that she fought the estate plan in the courts!

I had some misgivings about Clay. There was a huge age gap between Alden & Meridian - and look how that turned out. I was concerned (as Meridian was) about the age difference and life experiences between Meridian & Clay. I do believe they truly loved each other though. Clay opened up a whole new world for Meridian. I thought it was admirable that he respected her wishes and never tried to get her back after Alden died. Now that is love. I also think that Meridian did the right thing by letting him go. That showed her love for him. She didn't want to do to him what was done to her. At the same time, it made me sad. His birthday gifts to her were amazing. Her final gift to him really demonstrated that there are all kinds of ways that people can love each other.

It was satisfying to me that Meridian realized that she had married a "crow" and that it was unfair of her to expect him to be anything different than a "crow". Very insightful. I love that she took care of him to the bitter end.

I really loved this book - and I really loved the message.

Wendy's Rating: *****