The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel

 The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel-474 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

At the same time Adolf Hitler was attempting to take over the western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treasures in Europe. The Fuehrer had begun cataloguing the art he planned to collect as well as the art he would destroy: "degenerate" works he despised.
In a race against time, behind enemy lines, often unarmed, a special force of American and British museum directors, curators, art historians, and others, called the Monuments Men, risked their lives scouring Europe to prevent the destruction of thousands of years of culture.
Focusing on the eleven-month period between D-Day and V-E Day, this fascinating account follows six Monuments Men and their impossible mission to save the world's great art from the Nazis.

Thoughts: In the beginning of the book, there is a bit too much background info. and lead-up to the actual events of "The Monuments Men." The group was officially known as the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives, but were simply called The Monuments Men. They never participated in combat, but did witness the horrors of war and at least two were killed. It's an interesting, if uneven read. I especially found the parts with Rose Valland and James Rorimer interesting. I think it's a story worth telling, but it could have been told better. 

The Deep Dark by Lee Knox Ostertag

The Deep Dark by Lee Knox Ostertag

480 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Everyone has secrets. Mags’s has teeth.

Magdalena Herrera is about to graduate high school, but she already feels like an adult with serious responsibilities: caring for her ailing grandmother; working a part-time job; clandestine makeouts with a girl who has a boyfriend. And then there’s her secret, which pulls her into the basement each night, drains her of energy, and leaves her bleeding. A secret that could hurt and even kill if it ever got out -- like it did once before.

So Mags keeps her head down, isolated in her small desert community. That is, until her childhood friend Nessa comes back to town, bringing vivid memories of the past, an intoxicating glimpse of the future, and a secret of her own. Mags won’t get attached, of course. She’s always been strong enough to survive without anyone’s help.

But when the darkness starts to close in on them both, Mags will have to drag her secret into the daylight, and choose between risking everything... or having nothing left to lose.

The History of Everything by Victoria Evans

The History of Everything by Victoria Evans

240 pages

⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Daisy and Agnes have always had each other.

And that’s all they’ve ever needed—or wanted, at least. So when Agnes’s mom drops the bombshell that she and Agnes are moving at the end of the summer, the girls are crushed.

All seems lost until the pair unearth "The History of Everything," an old friendship scrapbook with the ultimate bucket list to make their last summer together unforgettable. But when Daisy starts dating a charming drummer, her social calendar suddenly has less room for her best friend. Insecurities bubble to the surface, and Daisy and Agnes begin to question if their friendship is meant to last the summer, much less forever.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

289 pages

⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

The day they got together was the best one of Freddy's life, but nothing's made sense since. Laura Dean is popular, funny, and SO CUTE ... but she can be really thoughtless, even mean. Their on-again, off-again relationship has Freddy's head spinning — and Freddy's friends can't understand why she keeps going back.

When Freddy consults the services of a local mystic, the mysterious Seek-Her, she isn't thrilled with the advice she receives. But something's got to give: Freddy's heart is breaking in slow motion, and she may be about to lose her very best friend as well as her last shred of self-respect. Fortunately for Freddy, there are new friends, and the insight of advice columnist Anna Vice, to help her through being a teenager in love.

Drifting Dawn by Samantha Young

Drifting Dawn by Samantha Young -- 372 pages

After eighteen years, I’ve come home to the Scottish island of my childhood. It’s the place I vowed I wouldn’t return to so I never again had to see the man who broke my heart into a million pieces. Yet family has inevitably brought me back, and avoiding my ex, Quinn McQuarrie, is proving impossible when he insists on digging up the past every time we meet.

Quinn is now a single dad, the local contractor, and the person the entire town is rooting for to get his happily ever after. The problem is, he wants me to be his HEA, and I just want to move on. When Quinn sees my plans to save the town’s volunteer lifeboat service as an opportunity to work together, I’m stuck with him. And, unfortunately, I soon realize there’s no denying that the chemistry we share has only grown more intense with the passing of time. I know Quinn wants more than just a physical relationship, but it’s all I can promise with so much hurt and distrust between us. However, when strange disturbances escalate to harassment, our lives are turned upside down, and Quinn proves he will do anything in his power to protect me. Even if it means losing each other before we ever get our second chance…

My Hero Academia, Volumes 1 - 3

My Hero Academia, Volume 1 - 189 pages

My Hero Academia, Volume 2 - 207 pages

My Hero Academia, Volume 3 - 190 pages

Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb D. Cook (Translator)

Series Summary (From Volume 1 on Goodreads)

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…

Review

I finally got around to checking out this series and I definitely think it lives up to the hype.  Well-placed time-skips allow the earlier volumes to maintain a faster pace while also making time for necessary bits of exposition.  I already have the next few volumes in reserve!  

Villains are Destined to Die, Volumes 5 & 6

Villains are Destined to Die, Volume 5 - 272 pages

Villains are Destined to Die, Volume 6 - 288 pages

SUOL, Gwon Gyeoeul (Original Creator), Chiho Christie (Letterer), David Odell (Translator), Ah Cho (Translator)

Series Summary (From Volume 1 on Goodreads)

A villain living life in hard mode... whose every path leads to death."

Playing Daughter of the Duke Love Project as the easy mode heroine, Ivonne, makes charming the male characters a breeze. But once you switch to hard mode and step into the shoes of Penelope, the misunderstood villain, it’s nearly impossible to even stay alive! So imagine the shock of suddenly waking up in Penelope’s body―you know right away that your life is on the line. With love interests who will kill you if their affection meters drop too low and the inability to speak without choosing from pre-selected dialogue, it quickly becomes clear that Penelope’s chances have been rigged from the start―and this villain might just be destined to die!

Review

Things really started ramping up in these two volumes!  An unforeseen changeup in how "The System" works has really thrown a massive wrench into things.  This, combined with the way Penelope treats one of her "love interests" as more game mechanic than human being had me wondering if she was headed down a dark road in spite of her efforts (or perhaps because of them).  ...At least until the reveal at the end of volume 6.