Maria swears off love after seeing it’s ramifications on both the woman that raised her and her mother. But sometimes love and fate are far more powerful than any stubborn streak. As Maria practices the Nameless Art, she learns her own lessons in the magic of love.

I found the writing to be slow, methodical, and irritatingly repetitive. Ultimately this is a book about magic lacking any literary magic. 

This author has a remarkable gift for turning history into deeply complex, spellbinding characters and prose. This is a well researched, intricately woven story that brings a different perspective to the WW2 genre. The story is primarily set after the war, bringing together a motley crew of Nazi hunters, a former Night Witch (an elite female Soviet night bomber), and a young, ambitious, want-to-be photo journalist on a journey for justice. I found this book to be captivating and eye opening. Did you know that in 1973 the INS knew of 53 Nazi war criminals living in the US? 

The game of two truths and a lie has much higher stakes when 3 teenage girls go missing at summer camp. Not once. But twice. While I found this book to be creepy (right in time for Halloween), I couldn’t quite get lost in the story the way I wanted... maybe because the characters weren’t all that likeable or maybe because I never went to summer camp. Ultimately I found the storyline is a bit convoluted. However the twist at the end did allow me to end the book on a high(er) note (also bumping my rating a tad). It’s definitely far fetched. But so was the whole book. 

This is an eccentric and heartwarming story that gives (a much needed!) voice to someone that is non-neurotypical. The story is narrated by Zelda, a young woman you can’t help but adore who was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Her love of Vikings helps her navigate societal expectations, the hardships of life, and ultimately guides her to become the heroine of her own story. This book deals with some dark themes in an endearing way. 

I listened to all the hype and chose to end out October with this (supposedly) spooky read. It was a bonus that Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts have already been cast in the adaptation.  But I was led completely astray. Don’t trust the masses. Don’t even trust Denzel and Julia. 

If, however, you enjoy tense, incredibly ambiguous, awkward, end of the world scenarios, this is your read. 

The writing itself is especially dense (Why use one word when you can use twenty?) and overly symbolic (George Washington is a main character... GW both at the beginning and “ending” of America. Hmmm.)  

The overall theme of how one deals with the unknown is interesting and thought provoking. There’s also a note to our addiction of phones and technology that’s on point. But the messy plot and the ambiguity and the writing style just didn’t do this theme any justice. 

Casey’s life is a disaster. Failed love. Writer’s block. And deep in grief over her mother’s recent death. Life is messy. Casey’s unfolds as we awkwardly bounce back and forth between scenes involving writing, geese, men, waiting tables, more geese, and random medical appointments. At times the writing is too quirky, and there is a missing depth to the scenes. But overall, the book gives perspective to the journey through life’s mundane, which in the end can be quite lovely.  

This is a beautifully difficult, necessary read! We often tell victims, “I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through.” In this memoir, Chanel meticulously details the horrors victims face at the hands of their attackers, the judicial system, and society. Chanel channels her pain into power and purpose in this book. It is a must read for anyone who breaths. 

If you could have your deepest wish/need granted, what would you wish for? Addie LaRue is a mystical tale about a young woman trapped by the expectations of her time and willing to trade anything for true freedom. But freedom is a shady tempter, dark and twisted, and not at all trustworthy. 

Addie’s journey through 300 invisible years is heart wrenching and utterly lonely. (Even the purest, deepest desires of our hearts are counterbalanced by consequences after all.) And then, Henry. And three simple words. “I remember you.” 

The ending of this book is what makes the journey full. There is a depth of details that sometimes gets in the way of the beauty of the story. But that ending is masterful. 

Just another perfect love story? Not quite. Azere may be an expert on all things romance and love... from Disney fairy tales to Notting Hill to Pride and Prejudice.... But her options for love are limited. By her mother and her teenage promise to a dying father. In order to get her happy ever after, Azere must come to terms with what it means to honor your past while accepting what life surprises you with in the present. 

I am a reluctant romance reader. But I’m glad I didn’t have the chance to overlook this gem. It was an incredibly fun, fast read. I enjoyed the way the author wove the best of rom-coms into the storyline. And I appreciated that this story dealt with real issues that bubble up in multi-cultural families. 

The theme of the story resonates with the core of my soul... the things that save us in hardship are friendship and a good book! 

In Germany occupied France amidst sad news from the French war front, the American Library Paris became a place for community and respite. Odile is a young librarian learning to face the ever changing world of WW2. Books, friendship, a first love, and a determination to resist the oppressors take us on a lovely, albeit sorrowful, journey with her. I came to adore Odile, her bookish nature, and her willingness to learn through hardship as well as her own faults. This is a delightful read about a piece of WW2 history that I had never heard about prior. 

This is a well researched novel memorably blending fact and fiction to bring to light the American Library Paris and its courageous and dedicated librarians. The library still thrives today.

As a person who loves quality literature, I loved the way the author dabbled quotes from classic literature to highlight how books grant guidance, peace, and joy in uncertain circumstances. The intertwining of the Dewey decimal system throughout the book was a quirky, fascinating touch.

While I enjoyed the story greatly, I also longed for more detail in the relationships and day to day interactions. I found that I wanted to rush through the portions of the story about her Montana neighbor, Lilly, so that I could hurry back to Odile’s story in Paris. Had the book focused solely on Odile, we could’ve gained a greater depth in the Paris story and her character.