A Study in Scarlet Women

 A Study in Scarlet Women BK 1 by Sherry Thomas 323 pages

Synopsis: With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her.
But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

My Thoughts: This book was a fun book to read for book club. I loved the fresh take on Sherlock Holmes as a woman instead of a man. The stereotyping of women during this time forces Charlotte to hide the fact that Sherlock is a fake person. There were a ton of characters that were hard to keep track of, but overall it was a fun read. 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

371 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

Superman Smashes the Klan #1-3, 240 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Chinatown to Downtown Metropolis. While Dr. Lee is eager to begin his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to the famous superhero Superman!

Tommy adjusts quickly to the fast pace of their new neighborhood, befriending Jimmy Olsen and joining the club baseball team, while his younger sister Roberta feels out of place when she fails to fit in with the neighborhood kids. She's awkward, quiet, and self-conscious of how she looks different from the kids around her, so she sticks to watching people instead of talking to them.

While the Lees try to adjust to their new lives, an evil is stirring in Metropolis: the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan targets the Lee family, beginning a string of terrorist attacks. They kidnap Tommy, attack the Daily Planet, and even threaten the local YMCA. But with the help of Roberta's keen skills of observation, Superman is able to fight the Klan's terror, while exposing those in power who support them--and Roberta and Superman learn to embrace their own unique features that set them apart.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

451 pages

⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Anaïs Flogny

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Anaïs Flogny

240 pages

⭐⭐⭐.75/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Chicago, 1930. Jules Tivoli is a penniless Italian immigrant doing odd jobs to make ends meet. A twist of fate causes him to cross paths with Adam, a kingpin in Chicago’s criminal underworld who sees something in Jules that nobody else does—something special.

Under Adam’s wing, Jules becomes somebody and falls in love hard with the man who made him. But after an FBI crackdown, Adam and Jules must flee to New York to escape being caught in the ensuing chaos.

In New York, Jules’s Italian heritage gains him access, recognition, and power in the Cosa Nostra crime family. As he becomes more important in a city where Adam can’t seem to catch a break, he meets Eufrasio—his handsome, violent, and ambitious new partner who insists that Adam is holding Jules back. But Jules would be nothing without Adam—wouldn’t he?

Torn between his past and his future, a sudden betrayal forces Jules to find a way to protect his love and prove his loyalty—if he can even manage to make it out alive.

The Confessional by Paige Hender

The Confessional by Paige Hender

200 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

New Orleans, 1922. Cora Velasquez lives with her sister and her own haunted memories in a speakeasy run by a vampire coven. Unable to bear the weight of her damned soul, she turns to Father Orville Thibodeaux, a charismatic priest and the object of her hidden desires. Their veiled courtship becomes deadly serious when he discovers her nature, and proposes a way to both slake her thirst and save her soul. So begins the charged dance between an all-powerful but unsure young woman, and the mortal man who claims to hold her fate in his hand.

The Lost Baker of Vienna

 The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman 432 pages

Synopsis: Vienna,1946: Chana Rosensweig has endured the horrors of war to find herself, her mother, and younger brother finally free in Vienna. But freedom doesn’t look like they imagined it would, as they struggle to make a living and stay safe.

Despite the danger, Chana sneaks out most nights to return to the hotel kitchen where she works as a dishwasher, using the quiet nighttime hours to bake her late father’s recipes. As she tries to balance her love of baking against her family’s need for security, Chana finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle, torn between the black-market dealer who has offered marriage and protection, and the apprentice baker who shares her passions.

The Lost Baker of Vienna affirms the unbreakable bonds of family, while shining a light on the courageous spirit of WWII refugees as they battle to survive the overwhelming hardships of a world torn apart.

My Thoughts: While I predicted the ending of this book pretty early on, it was still a fascinating read. Absolutely horrible what Jewish people went through during this time, but it really showed life after the Camps and showed how life was still extremely bad for Jewish people. The thing I appreciate about this book is it was inspired by the experiences of the author's own family after the Holocaust and it was very heart-wrenching. I like how they had the present in the novel and then went to the past to tell the story of Zoe's family. This book was beautifully written.

The Dragon Republic

 The Dragon Republic bk 2 by R. F. Kuang 654 pages

Synopsis: In the aftermath of the Third Poppy War, shaman and warrior Rin is on the run: haunted by the atrocity she committed to end the war, addicted to opium, and hiding from the murderous commands of her vengeful god, the fiery Phoenix. Her only reason for living is to get revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold out Nikan to their enemies.

With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. Rin throws herself into his war. After all, making war is all she knows how to do.

But the Empress is a more powerful foe than she appears, and the Dragon Warlord’s motivations are not as democratic as they seem. The more Rin learns, the more she fears her love for Nikan will drive her away from every ally and lead her to rely more and more on the Phoenix’s deadly power. Because there is nothing she won’t sacrifice for her country and her vengeance.

My Thoughts: This book was just as rough to read as the first in the trilogy, "The Poppy Wars". This book is very war heavy and pretty graphic, but it's also a very very good book series. This book is based on actual historical events, but with a fantasy twist. Rin is a wonderful main character and the aftermath of book one, how she deals with her emotions, and learning new things. We have amazing supporting characters. We lose even more characters, essentially not one character is safe in this author's hands and its a gut wrenching read, but so good. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 448 pages 

Synapsis: A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget. France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever―and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

My Thoughts: 

I thought this book had an exciting idea, what if you could live forever, stay the same age, but the moment you left someone's eye sight they would forget about you. I liked the character's in this book, I enjoyed getting to know Addie and going through life with her. The "devil" or whatever you want to call him was an excellent villain. I enjoyed this book.

The Queen's Fortune

The Queen's Fortune by Allison Pataki 448 pages

Summary: As the French revolution ravages the country, Desiree Clary is faced with the life-altering truth that the world she has known and loved is gone and it’s fallen on her to save her family from the guillotine.

A chance encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte, the ambitious and charismatic young military prodigy, provides her answer. When her beloved sister Julie marries his brother Joseph, Desiree and Napoleon’s futures become irrevocably linked. Quickly entering into their own passionate, dizzying courtship that leads to a secret engagement, they vow to meet in the capital once his career has been secured. But her newly laid plans with Napoleon turn to sudden heartbreak, thanks to the rising star of Parisian society, Josephine de Beauharnais. Once again, Desiree’s life is turned on its head.

Swept to the glittering halls of the French capital, Desiree is plunged into the inner circle of the new ruling class, becoming further entangled with Napoleon, his family, and the new Empress. But her fortunes shift once again when she meets Napoleon's confidant and star general, the indomitable Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. As the two men in Desiree’s life become political rivals and military foes, the question that arises is: must she choose between the love of her new husband and the love of her nation and its Emperor?

From the lavish estates of the French Riviera to the raucous streets of Paris and Stockholm, Desiree finds herself at the epicenter of the rise and fall of an empire, navigating a constellation of political giants and dangerous, shifting alliances. Emerging from an impressionable girl into a fierce young woman, she discovers that to survive in this world she must learn to rely upon her instincts and her heart.

My Thoughts: This book was interesting, but it also took me forever to get through. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I loved learning about Desiree's life through this book (even if some of it is fictionalized) and I loved seeing Napoleon B in a negative light. I do enjoy learning about all the amazing women from the past in historical novels, because in school we don't ever really learn about the women who did amazing things. 

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

 The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki 400 pages

Summary: So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar's treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood's biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweather Post lived an epic life few could imagine.

Marjorie's journey began gluing cereal boxes in her father's barn as a young girl. No one could have predicted that C. W. Post's Cereal Company would grow into the General Foods empire and reshape the American way of life, with Marjorie as its heiress and leading lady. Not content to stay in her prescribed roles of high-society wife, mother, and hostess, Marjorie dared to demand more, making history in the process. Before turning thirty she amassed millions, becoming the wealthiest woman in the United States. But it was her life-force, advocacy, passion, and adventurous spirit that led to her stunning legacy.

And yet Marjorie's story, though full of beauty and grandeur, set in the palatial homes she built such as Mar-a-Lago, was equally marked by challenge and tumult. A wife four times over, Marjorie sought her happily-ever-after with the blue-blooded party boy who could not outrun his demons, the charismatic financier whose charm turned to betrayal, the international diplomat with a dark side, and the bon vivant whose shocking secrets would shake Marjorie and all of society. Marjorie did everything on a grand scale, especially when it came to love.

My Thoughts: I actually really enjoyed this book and reading about yet another strong/innovative woman ahead of her time that we never learned about in school. The author certainly did her research on Marjorie and I was fascinated by Marjorie's life. Basically if you enjoy learning about amazing women, read this book! 

The Personal Librarian

 The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray 341 pages

Summary: In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.

My Thoughts: So this was a really interesting book. I enjoyed learning about this Librarian and all the work she did for J.P. Morgan. How she had to lie about her race and the fear of the truth coming out. If you like fictionalized books about real people (with a ton of real facts) I would recommend reading this book. Honestly any book by Marie Benedict is amazing! 

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah-464 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads Synopsis: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

Thoughts: This is such a good book. It has really opened my eyes to the experiences of those who went through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression simultaneously. Elsa and her family's experience was harrowing. I had only heard about Kristin Hannah and I have been highly anticipating reading many of her books. This one is heavy, but really good. 

Becoming Mrs. Lewis

 Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan 435 Pages

Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan comes an exquisite novel of Joy Davidman, the woman C. S. Lewis called “my whole world.” When poet and writer Joy Davidman began writing letters to C. S. Lewis—known as Jack—she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an Oxford don and the beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death couldn’t destroy.

In this masterful exploration of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren’t meant to have a voice—and yet her love for Jack gave them both voices they didn’t know they had.

At once a fascinating historical novel and a glimpse into a writer’s life, Becoming Mrs. Lewis is above all a love story—a love of literature and ideas and a love between a husband and wife that, in the end, was not impossible at all.

My Thoughts: I read this book for my book club and I really enjoyed it. I didn't know much about C.S. Lewis and his life. I am not a religious person and while this book was centered on christianity and belief, it was not so over the top and it was still enjoyable for me to read. My book club ladies and I agreed it was kind of slower paced, but it worked with this book. I laughed, I cried, I truly enjoyed reading it. When I finished this I went into a deep dive on one of Joy's son, Douglas, and read an article featuring him about his life and the secret of his other brother and I found it so interesting. He also stated he approved of this book that the author wrote!

When The Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

 

When The Angels Left the Old Country

2022 | 408 Pages

Summary: For fans of “Good Omens”—a queer immigrant fairytale about individual purpose, the fluid nature of identity, and the power of love to change and endure.

Uriel the angel and Little Ash (short for Ashmedai) are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl (which is so tiny, it doesn't have a name other than Shtetl). The angel and the demon have been studying together for centuries, but pogroms and the search for a new life have drawn all the young people from their village to America. When one of those young emigrants goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her.

Along the way the angel and demon encounter humans in need of their help, including Rose Cohen, whose best friend (and the love of her life) has abandoned her to marry a man, and Malke Shulman, whose father died mysteriously on his way to America. But there are obstacles ahead of them as difficult as what they’ve left behind. Medical exams (and demons) at Ellis Island. Corrupt officials, cruel mob bosses, murderers, poverty. The streets are far from paved with gold.

Review: I can absolutely see why this book is recommended to fans of "Good Omens." Overall I really enjoyed this read, I found myself excited to see what would happen next once I got into it. It uses a lot of Jewish phrasing in a way that someone who isn't familiar with it might not understand, but after some quick google searches and even just in reading the book I gained more natural clarity on them.

To the Bone by Alena Bruzas

To the Bone by Alena Bruzas - 256 pages

It’s 1609 at James Fort, and Ellis has recently arrived from England with Henry Collins and his wife, who she serves as their indentured help. To orphaned Ellis, James Fort is an opportunity – a fresh start in a new world. And now that she has fallen for the bold and glorious Jane Eddowes, she feels even more hopeful about her future. Foolishly hopeful, for soon she comes to understand the horrible realities of her home: the crimes that her fellow settlers have committed against the Native Americans there, the terrible shortage of food they are facing as winter draws near, and the cruelty of her employer, both to her and to his pregnant wife. Ellis will call upon all her fortitude, but will it be enough? Gripping, shocking, and exquisitely told, this is crucial U.S. history seen through the eyes of an extraordinary fictional teenager.

My opinion: I really liked the writing style in this book. As the story went on and the main character become hungrier and hungrier, the punctuation and even the layout of the words on the page changed, changing the pace of the story. I liked how it reflected the main characters state of mind. The content was heavy, but I thought the story was interesting. 

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood

 The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood 367 Pages

Summary: Paris, 1940: War is closing in on the city of love. With his wife forced into hiding, Jacques must stand by and watch as the Nazis take away everything he holds dear. Everything except his last beacon of hope: his beloved bookshop, La Page Cachée.

But when a young woman and her child knock on his door one night and beg for refuge, he knows his only option is to risk it all once more to save a life…

Modern day: Juliette and her husband have finally made it to France on the romantic getaway of her dreams—but as the days pass, all she discovers is quite how far they’ve grown apart. She’s craving a new adventure, so when she happens across a tiny, abandoned shop with a for-sale sign in the window, it feels fated.

And she’s about to learn that the forgotten bookshop hides a lot more than meets the eye…

My Thoughts: Oh man this book was heart wrenching. It was incredibly interesting having the focus be on a bookshop. I liked the two different perspectives from different years. 

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin 403 pages I love reading about World War II. This book took an unexpected turn because both of the main characters were from America but living in France, and met through a bookstore. The widower and the owner of the bookstore were both working for the resistance without the other one knowing. Their escape from France was very hard and kept me on the edge of my seat. I won't spoil the ending by telling you what happens and who makes it back to America. As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books. Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission. Master of WWII-era fiction Sarah Sundin invites you onto the streets of occupied Paris to discover whether love or duty will prevail.

Pony by RJ Palacio

Pony by RJ Palacio 289 pages It took a while to get into this book. I love Historical fiction but this one had a slow start. After about 4 chapters I was hooked. This juvenile fiction had ghosts, death, kidnapping, adventure and shootings. I was very interested in reading to the end. I predicted some of the story line, but still kept my interest. Twelve-year-old Silas is awoken in the dead of night by three menacing horsemen who take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared, and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool... who happens to be a ghost. When a pony shows up at his door, Silas makes the courageous decision to leave his home and embark on a perilous journey to find his father. Along the way, he will face his fears to unlock the secrets of his past and explore the unfathomable mysteries of the world around him. R. J. Palacio spins a harrowing yet distinctly beautiful coming-of-age story about the power of love and the ties that bind us across distance and time. With the poignant depth of War Horse and the singular voice of True Grit, this is one of those rare books poised to become an instant classic for readers of all ages.

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

 The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict - 312 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She was beautiful. She was a genius. Could the world handle both? 

Hedy Kiesler is lucky. Her beauty leads to a starring role in a controversial film and marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer, allowing her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. But Hedy is also intelligent. At lavish Vienna dinner parties, she overhears the Third Reich's plans. One night in 1937, desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazis, she disguises herself and flees her husband's castle.

She lands in Hollywood, where she becomes Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But Hedy is keeping a secret even more shocking than her Jewish heritage: she is a scientist. She has an idea that might help the country and that might ease her guilt for escaping alone—if anyone will listen to her.

I admit I would not have chosen to read this book as it's not normally what I read, but I read it for a Book Discussion during Women's History Month, and I really enjoyed it. It made me very curious to learn more about Hedy Lamarr, and the more I learned the more impressed I was - and the more disappointed and frustrated I was about the stereotype of a beautiful woman she had to work so hard to try to overcome.