In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer

 

In This Moment   by Gabrielle Meyer  390 pages

Margaret Hollingsworth inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861 Washington D.C., 1941 Pearl Harbor, and 2001 Washington D.C.. Each night she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives -- and everyone she knows in them -- forever. In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of a senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she joins a hospital ship going to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she's a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon. While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era, only complicating the impossible decision she must make, which looms ever closer. She faces a difficult journey to discover her true self, while drawn to three worthy gentlemen. With so much on the line, how can Maggie choose just one life to keep and the rest to lose?

This is book two in the series.  I really don't like time travel books, but this is a time slipping book.  I didn't think I would like it, but I am hooked on this series.  The series continues with the children of the character from the last book.  So, it is not a continuation of the same person, but the next generation and the time periods are different.  I really enjoyed this one because the time periods were 1871, 1941 and 2001 which were very important times in war history.  The author does a great job using real people as well as made up characters.  She also makes sure they are historically accurate. 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah  p564  (read 383)

With courage, grace, and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France—a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

This story has rave reviews. So many customers love it. It has triggers for me. I got as far as the rape scene/ torture scene and closed the book. Actually I read the last chapter to see why everyone loved it. It DID make me tear up. 

Children Of the Fallen Gods

 

Children Of the Fallen Gods (book 2) by Carissa Broadbent

636 Pages

Summary: No war can be fought with clean hands. Not even the ones waged for the right reasons. Not even the ones you win.

Tisaanah bargained away her own freedom to save those she left behind in slavery. Now, bound by her blood pact, she must fight the Orders’ war -- and Max is determined to protect her at all costs.

But when a betrayal tears apart Ara, Max and Tisaanah are pushed into an even bloodier conflict. Tisaanah must gamble with Reshaye’s power to claim an impossible victory. And Max, forced into leadership, must confront everything he hoped to forget: his past, and his own mysterious magic.
All the while, darker forces loom -- far darker, even, than the Orders’ secrets.
As Tisaanah and Max are ensnared in a web of ancient magic and twisted secrets, one question remains: what are they willing to sacrifice for victory? For power? For love?

My Thoughts: I was slightly confused when I started reading this book and a completely new character was introduced. However, the writing was still extremely well done, the story kept my attention, even not knowing who the new character was and how they contributed to the story. I would 10/10 recommend still. I can't wait to start the final book!

The Women by Kristin Hannah

 

The Women by Kristin Hannah, 480 pages, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

This was my first Kristin Hannah book and I really loved it. I loved learning more about the Vietnam war and it definitely tugged at my heartstrings a lot. The only reason it's not a 5* read is the last 100 or so pages became very soap opera-y.

Just Once by Karen Kingsbury

Just Once by Karen Kingsbury 327 pages I enjoy most books by Karen Kingsbury and I have read most of her series, but this stand alone book was above and beyond her other writing. I love to read historical fiction and this story is set in the 1940s, but an older couple is retelling the story before the wonan, recently diagnosed with alzheimers, forgets the stories of the war. I coulbn't put it down until I finished it! In 1941, beautiful Irvel Ellis is too focused on her secret to take much notice in the war raging overseas. She's dating Sam but in love with his brother, Hank, and Irvel has no idea how to break the news when the unthinkable happens - Pearl Harbor is attacked. With their lives turned upside down overnight, Sam is drafted, and Hank wants to enlist. But Sam insists Hank stay home, where he and Irvel take up the battle on the home front. While Sam fights in Europe, an undeniable chemistry builds between Irvel and Hank but neither would dare cross that line. Then a telegram comes, and the news is devastating. Hank enlists the next day and has just two weeks until he ships out. Will either brother make it home alive? Or will Irvel lose everything? And can love find a way, even from the ashes of the greatest heartbreak?"

War Stories by Gordon Korman

War Stories by Gordon Korman 231 pages Twelve-year-old Trevor Firestone loves playing war-based video games and he idolizes his great-grandfather Jacob who came home from World War II a celebrated hero; now ninety-three-year-old Jacob wants to retrace his journey in memory and reality and return to the small French village that his unit liberated, and Trevor is going with him -- but not everyone in the town wants Jacob to come, and Trevor is going to learn an important lesson: real war is not a video game, and valor and heroism can be very murky concepts. I was not a fan of this book. It is a Mark Twain nominee for 4-6 graders but I feel like it was appropriate for that age. I felt it was too graphic with the violent details for elementary students. It did tell a neat story about the connection between a young boy and his great-grandfather and the boy learns a valuable lesson that video games are not the same as real war.

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

 Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman-228 pages

Gorman's first published collection of poems doesn't disappoint. "The Hill We Climb," which was the inaugural poem she recited, was really good and was published alone previously. It is also included in the collection. The major themes of this collection are African-American experience, the Covid-19 Pandemic, and war. These poems are thought-provoking and inspiring. Gorman is a talented poet. Many of the poems on Covid-19 and war really resonated. I would recommend this to anyone who liked her inaugural poem. If you haven't read that poem or if you haven't even heard of Amanda Gorman, then I would recommend you read this collection, also. 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, 291 pages

"January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb...

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever."

This well-known book has been on my TBR for many years and resurfaced recently due to the Netflix movie. I wish I would have read it sooner. What an absolutely wonderful read. Written as correspondence after WWII, these friends come together to make a life and the journey we get to follow them along is fantastic. Highly recommended.
 

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer, 448 pages
 

CW: war, assault, violence

"In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war. Just beyond the tents of the Russian refugee camp she calls home, a young woman speaks her wedding vows. It’s a decision that will alter her destiny…and it’s a lie that will remain buried until the next century.

Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now fifteen and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears. Where Alina used to measure time between visits from her beloved, now she measures the spaces between hope and despair, waiting for word from Tomasz and avoiding the attentions of the soldiers who patrol her parents’ farm. But for now, even deafening silence is preferable to grief.
Slipping between Nazi-occupied Poland and the frenetic pace of modern life, Kelly Rimmer creates an emotional and finely wrought narrative that weaves together two women’s stories into a tapestry of perseverance, loyalty, love and honor. The Things We Cannot Say is an unshakable reminder of the devastation when truth is silenced…and how it can take a lifetime to find our voice before we learn to trust it." --Goodreads blurb

This was an beautiful epic tale of war, family, and love. Many intriguing characters to follow and fall in love with, as well as some great background stories, namely the main character's son. The story became a little hard to follow at certain points, but it all came together and the story was wonderful. 

Rebel by Marie Lu

Rebel by Marie Lu - 400 pages
Legend Book 4

After the events of the first trilogy Day and his family are now living in Ross City in Antarctica.  Day has a fancy new job with  the Antarctic security forces while his little brother attends college.  The brother falls in with the wrong crowd and becomes of interest to the most dangerous organized crime figure who is looking to tear down the supposed merit system that is stratifying the society and stifling opportunity for the lower levels.  Many of the characters from the first trilogy appear and it's a worthwhile continuation of the Legend series.  

Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children's Crusade by Ryan North (Goodreads Author) (adaptor), Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Albert Monteys (Illustrations)

 Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children's Crusade

by Ryan North (Goodreads Author) (adaptor), Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Albert Monteys (Illustrations)-192 pages

"So it goes." This is the statement after every mention of death. Whether it's one person or a multitude who has died this is said. Billy Pilgrim is an 18-year-old soldier serving on the European front who gets captured and sent to a German prison camp. He ends up in Dresden, Germany and witnesses the Allied bombings there that kill 25,000 civilians. He also witnesses the death by firing squad of a comrade. This book is presented as Billy coming out of time ("unstuck") at different points in his life. It goes back and forth between these points in time. Slaughter House-Five is the place where Billy and the other Allies end up in Dresden as refugees. He survives because he hid in the meat locker below ground while the bombings raged. They emerged to find Dresden in ruins. This novel, even in graphic form, is thought-provoking on war and the nature of man. I thought of all the wars man has ever fought (as many as I could think of anyway), such as the Peloponnesian War, The Crusades, The Hundred Years' War, The American Civil War, World War I and II, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, and so many more. There's a video game series called "Fallout" and at the end of several of the games in the series the statement is made "because war, war never changes." Reading this work made me think of that statement. Overall, I found this to be thought-provoking and full of dark humor. 

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

 

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey - 448 pages

This is an excellent dystopian post apocalyptic story set in England shedding light on modern society the best manner of science fiction.  The interpersonal relationships feel very real in a very unreal situation and the horror creeps up on you in the best possible way.  It does involve a deadly virus that devastates the world so if your headspace isn't there right now, put it on your To Read list for better times.   

I discovered its also been adapted by the author into a feature film that came out in 2016 so I'm off to find that too.  

Bones of Faerie Trilogy by Janni Lee Simner

 

1) Bones of Faerie - 256 pages

2) Faerie Winter - 307 pages

3) Faerie After - 297 pages

15 year old Liza lives in a post-apocalyptic St. Louis area devastated by the aftermath of a war between humanity and faerie.  Magic slipped over into the human world as a consequence so now even the trees move with malicious intent and the world of faerie is believed to have been destroyed.  When Liza discovers that the magic has creeped into her as well giving her visions of the past and the future then she flees her isolated town and is set upon a path to find out the true nature of the world.  I very much enjoyed the world building and characters in this series.  The Arch even plays an integral role in Liza's quest! 

Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, Vol. 1 by Yukito Kishiro

 Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, Vol. 1 by Yukito Kishiro-208 pages

While I wait for copies of the next volumes of Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization I am reading this. It caught my eye on the shelf because I have seen the film "Alita: Battle Angel" based on the manga. This is not the story line explored in the movie. However, this is a captivating story on its own. Yoko (Alita) is a young cyborg girl who is taken to live in an orphanage with Erica in the town of Mamiana on Mars. At first, Erica and Yoko are bullied but then they almost sort of become friends with some of the other girls. However, an army faction (one of 3 at war on Mars) slaughters all the girls except Yoko and Erica. They are the only ones who escape the slaughter. They are rescued by a different army faction. This is pretty much how the first volume ends. I am now reading the second volume of this series and plan to read the third, as well. As I said in an earlier post, I plan to read a lot of manga and graphic novels for this month's challenge. 

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

 

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini - 939 pages

The wrap up of a fairly routine planetary survey mission turns deadly fast when xenobiologist Kira Navárez encounters an alien life form in a hidden cavern.  Kira's first contact situation quickly evolves her in a larger conflict sweeping the galaxy and changes her to her very core.   This is epic science fiction at its best with intriguing world building filled with amazing technology.  The characters are filled with attitude from when they first walk onto the page and make you want to know more about them right away.  It does get a little slow in places but the action kicks back in to reward the reader.  

Dark Age by Pierce Brown

Dark Age by Pierce Brown - 776 pages
Red Rising Series Book Five

It's been ten years since Darrow took his dead wife's dream to the stars and broke the world.   As an outlaw trying to rescue the doomed Free Legions on Mars he faces insurmountable odds and the temptation to give into the darkness in order to achieve victory.  He is challenged by those within the Republic and the resurrection of the lost last heir to the empire, Lysander who is back to claim what he feels is rightfully his.

The first of this book is battle, battle and more battle which gets a bit wearying.  But the plot kicks in and the characters who have been so strong throughout the series bring their voices to the story and then things picked up for me.  It's not the best entry in the series but I'm still curious to see what happens next. 

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner - 402 pages
Book 2 - A Queen's Thief

Eugenides has been caught by the Queen of Attolia.  As punishment, she cuts off his hand.  This simple act starts off a three-way war between the countries of Attolia, Eddis, and Sounis.  All three countries are fighting to maintain their independence and to hold off the Medes who want to take over their continent.  Now Eugenides must rise above this handicap to bring peace to Eddis and Attolia.  He has a wild plan . . . to kidnap the Queen of Attolia and convince her to marry him.

I'm continuing to re-read the Queen's Thief series.  It is my favorite series.  With this book, we start to get more into the political intrigue that marks the series.  It's a turn from the adventure story that was the first book. 

Bungo Stray Dogs, v. 05 by Kafka Asagiri

Bungo Stray Dogs, v. 05 by Kafka Asagiri - 179 pages

In this volume, the war between the Detective Agency, the Mafia, and the Guild begins.

I am enjoying this series.  The only problem is that so many characters are introduced in each volume that it is difficult to keep up with all of them.  I do like that it gives a little info into the literary figures the characters are based on in the back of the book, however, it would be even better if it had a character guide in each book.

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Morning Star by Pierce Brown - 524 pages

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender. 

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Golden Son by Pierce Brown - 430 pages

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within. 

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.