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anabel_unker
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
In this latests installment of the beloved An American in Paris Mystery series, our Tabitha Knight expands her social circle and resume as murder investigator. Given the opportunity to translate for an American woman searching for an haute couture dress, Tabitha is formally introduced into the fashion world of post-war Paris-- but finds herself embroiled in yet another death when she discovers the body of up-and-coming designer and atelier owner. As the clues (and the crimes) start piling up, Tabitha has to make the decision of what and who to investigate while balancing her burgeoning social life.
A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER earned its spot as my favorite book in this series for its sheer ambition! Cambridge has expanded Tabitha's social circle to include a new charming cast of characters, while deftly deepening her long-standing relations. Grand-père and Oncle Rafe no longer hide in the shadows, but have their own plot and provide interesting commentary on occupied Paris. Julia Child's role as friend and cook extraordinaire remains firmly in place, but Tabitha's will-they-won't-they relationship with Inspecteur Merveille enters into the next phase.
Cambridge also deftly took on the discussion of German collaborators during Occupation and the grey area of what collaboration meant that many people even today struggle to define. Tabitha struggles to navigate her own feelings as an American living in Paris as they redefine and reconstruct post-WWII, while also learning about some of the atrocities people endured in her new home.
All the while, the readers are treated into an inside look of Parisian haute couture during the era of reconstruction! Tabitha has (and thus, we have) the unique opportunity to experience the world of fashion not only as a customer, but also from 'behind the curtain' with her new friends who work as mannequins. It was such a treat to find which pictures of the gowns Cambridge described, and it was a real testament to the author's dedicated research!
Fun and charming and full of delicious food and fashion, A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER left me hungry for Tabitha Knight's next adventure!
In this latests installment of the beloved An American in Paris Mystery series, our Tabitha Knight expands her social circle and resume as murder investigator. Given the opportunity to translate for an American woman searching for an haute couture dress, Tabitha is formally introduced into the fashion world of post-war Paris-- but finds herself embroiled in yet another death when she discovers the body of up-and-coming designer and atelier owner. As the clues (and the crimes) start piling up, Tabitha has to make the decision of what and who to investigate while balancing her burgeoning social life.
A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER earned its spot as my favorite book in this series for its sheer ambition! Cambridge has expanded Tabitha's social circle to include a new charming cast of characters, while deftly deepening her long-standing relations. Grand-père and Oncle Rafe no longer hide in the shadows, but have their own plot and provide interesting commentary on occupied Paris. Julia Child's role as friend and cook extraordinaire remains firmly in place, but Tabitha's will-they-won't-they relationship with Inspecteur Merveille enters into the next phase.
Cambridge also deftly took on the discussion of German collaborators during Occupation and the grey area of what collaboration meant that many people even today struggle to define. Tabitha struggles to navigate her own feelings as an American living in Paris as they redefine and reconstruct post-WWII, while also learning about some of the atrocities people endured in her new home.
All the while, the readers are treated into an inside look of Parisian haute couture during the era of reconstruction! Tabitha has (and thus, we have) the unique opportunity to experience the world of fashion not only as a customer, but also from 'behind the curtain' with her new friends who work as mannequins. It was such a treat to find which pictures of the gowns Cambridge described, and it was a real testament to the author's dedicated research!
Fun and charming and full of delicious food and fashion, A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER left me hungry for Tabitha Knight's next adventure!
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
Inspired by the incredible actions of Stanislawa Leszczyńska, THE MIDWIFE OF AUSCHWITZ primarily follows two women, Ana and Ester. This is a story set in one of the darkest times of humanity, and it does not shy away from the horrors prisoners endured while in Auschwitz. But at its roots, this story is one of hope and perseverance.
Ana, a well-known Polish midwife, is taken into Nazi custody on suspicions of her family's ties to the rebellion. She takes Ester, a nurse and Jew, under her wing and the two help deliver over 3,000 infants in a hellish maternity "ward".
I would highly recommend this book to any fan of WWII historical fiction-- or books such as "The Alice Network", "The Tattooist of Auschwitz", or "The Nightingale".
Inspired by the incredible actions of Stanislawa Leszczyńska, THE MIDWIFE OF AUSCHWITZ primarily follows two women, Ana and Ester. This is a story set in one of the darkest times of humanity, and it does not shy away from the horrors prisoners endured while in Auschwitz. But at its roots, this story is one of hope and perseverance.
Ana, a well-known Polish midwife, is taken into Nazi custody on suspicions of her family's ties to the rebellion. She takes Ester, a nurse and Jew, under her wing and the two help deliver over 3,000 infants in a hellish maternity "ward".
I would highly recommend this book to any fan of WWII historical fiction-- or books such as "The Alice Network", "The Tattooist of Auschwitz", or "The Nightingale".
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity.*
Violet Hamilton is content with her life as it is. She is determined to live her life exactly how she desires-- mostly avoiding high society ladies, taking long strolls on the beach, and deterring any gentlemen callers her father pushes onto her. However, with the ten year anniversary of her mother's mysterious disappearance, Violet has finally decided to take the plunge and hire a detective to find sorely needed answers.
What follows is an entertaining, if slow paced, piece of fiction with a cast of characters you can't help but grow to love. While not exactly historically accurate on most accounts, NO LIFE FOR A LADY is a lighthearted read perfect for a modern audience. Violet is an engaging main character not subject to the limitations of women during her time period-- her misadventures introduce her to a wider world, and, in turn, made for a fun and twisty story.
Violet Hamilton is content with her life as it is. She is determined to live her life exactly how she desires-- mostly avoiding high society ladies, taking long strolls on the beach, and deterring any gentlemen callers her father pushes onto her. However, with the ten year anniversary of her mother's mysterious disappearance, Violet has finally decided to take the plunge and hire a detective to find sorely needed answers.
What follows is an entertaining, if slow paced, piece of fiction with a cast of characters you can't help but grow to love. While not exactly historically accurate on most accounts, NO LIFE FOR A LADY is a lighthearted read perfect for a modern audience. Violet is an engaging main character not subject to the limitations of women during her time period-- her misadventures introduce her to a wider world, and, in turn, made for a fun and twisty story.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
In this deeply personal and incredibly moving memoir, author Joan Sung tackles not only her contentious relationship with her North Korean mother but also her own relationship with America. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Sung starts by describing a childhood with an emotionally unavailable and volatile mother-- physical and emotional abuse are only made worse by the mother and daughter's inability to speak the same language fluently. Sung discusses struggling to realize her own identity; she’s to American to be a good Korean daughter, but not American enough for her white peers.
Later in the book and her life, Sung discusses the rampant over-sexualization and fetishization of Asian women, the harmful stereotypes that are still ingrained in how society treats and what it expects of Asian Americans, as well as the more recent racism against Asians as a direct result of COVID-19 and other racially motivated acts of violence. An Air-Force veteran, Sung provides insight as a Korean American woman working in the military-- an environment well known for its rampant sexual harassment and sexism. At the end of the book, Sung, now the mother to a mixed-race son, reflects on her own relationship with her mother as well as the life her son will have because of his heritage.
As America enters into a new chapter (one many of us are rightly scared and angry to begin), stories like Sung's-- the experiences of people that our society wants to overlook-- will be more important than ever.
In this deeply personal and incredibly moving memoir, author Joan Sung tackles not only her contentious relationship with her North Korean mother but also her own relationship with America. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Sung starts by describing a childhood with an emotionally unavailable and volatile mother-- physical and emotional abuse are only made worse by the mother and daughter's inability to speak the same language fluently. Sung discusses struggling to realize her own identity; she’s to American to be a good Korean daughter, but not American enough for her white peers.
Later in the book and her life, Sung discusses the rampant over-sexualization and fetishization of Asian women, the harmful stereotypes that are still ingrained in how society treats and what it expects of Asian Americans, as well as the more recent racism against Asians as a direct result of COVID-19 and other racially motivated acts of violence. An Air-Force veteran, Sung provides insight as a Korean American woman working in the military-- an environment well known for its rampant sexual harassment and sexism. At the end of the book, Sung, now the mother to a mixed-race son, reflects on her own relationship with her mother as well as the life her son will have because of his heritage.
As America enters into a new chapter (one many of us are rightly scared and angry to begin), stories like Sung's-- the experiences of people that our society wants to overlook-- will be more important than ever.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
In the full swing of his mid-life crisis, author Patrick Hutchison takes the plunge and purchases a run down and poorly built cabin in the middle-of-nowhere Washington. Suddenly a homeowner, and finally given an excuse to purchase power tools, Hutchison and his band of yuppie friends embark in the wilderness for an adventure fueled by beer and the possibility of becoming a handyman.
Hutchison has a gift for narration and engaging storytelling, he does a wonderful job of taking the reader back to the very beginning-- when he wasn't quite sure how to correctly wield a hammer-- to the end of his craftsman's journey on Witt's End. Lessons are learned, mistakes are made, and a foundation is laid (both literally and figuratively) as Hutchison tries to figure out the direction he wants his life to take.
While I wasn't the target audience (which most likely leans towards millennial, non-handy men) I still enjoyed the journey and learned a thing or two about how to take care of a leaky roof.
In the full swing of his mid-life crisis, author Patrick Hutchison takes the plunge and purchases a run down and poorly built cabin in the middle-of-nowhere Washington. Suddenly a homeowner, and finally given an excuse to purchase power tools, Hutchison and his band of yuppie friends embark in the wilderness for an adventure fueled by beer and the possibility of becoming a handyman.
Hutchison has a gift for narration and engaging storytelling, he does a wonderful job of taking the reader back to the very beginning-- when he wasn't quite sure how to correctly wield a hammer-- to the end of his craftsman's journey on Witt's End. Lessons are learned, mistakes are made, and a foundation is laid (both literally and figuratively) as Hutchison tries to figure out the direction he wants his life to take.
While I wasn't the target audience (which most likely leans towards millennial, non-handy men) I still enjoyed the journey and learned a thing or two about how to take care of a leaky roof.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
Content warnings for STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: teenage pregnancy, adoption, drug abuse by parent, mental abuse, foster care, mental health struggles
At the young age of sixteen, Gemma made the heartbreaking decision to give her baby (and herself) a chance to break the poverty/abuse cycle by placing her newborn daughter up for adoption. And since that day, Gemma has been haunted by the what-ifs of her unknown daughter's life. After graduating from Uni, Gemma has rarely spent more than two years in a single place, traveling and working all over the United Kingdom as a history teacher; running from settling down and running from her own heartbreak.
However, after eighteen years of wondering, Gemma suddenly finds herself face-t0-face with a young woman who could be her daughter; while every instinct tells her to run, Gemma decides to stay. Stay and see if this student is her child, stay and continue her friendship with her unconventional downstairs neighbor, stay and find what happens with the P.E. teacher, stay and watch what happens when she starts to place roots in a community.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING is the tender tale of Gemma Jones' life and her struggle to love. Johnson tackles the importance of found family and what it means to 'grow up' when struggling with childhood trauma. The cast of characters is delightful and funny, and the ending was everything I could have hoped for.
Some readers may find the story slow, and Gemma's back and forth attitude frustrating, but it felt realistic to a person's growth journey. Healing is not a straight line, it takes time and work and there are often set backs, but I thought Gemma (and her found family) were great examples of being patient with yourself and others while healing and changing for the better.
Content warnings for STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: teenage pregnancy, adoption, drug abuse by parent, mental abuse, foster care, mental health struggles
At the young age of sixteen, Gemma made the heartbreaking decision to give her baby (and herself) a chance to break the poverty/abuse cycle by placing her newborn daughter up for adoption. And since that day, Gemma has been haunted by the what-ifs of her unknown daughter's life. After graduating from Uni, Gemma has rarely spent more than two years in a single place, traveling and working all over the United Kingdom as a history teacher; running from settling down and running from her own heartbreak.
However, after eighteen years of wondering, Gemma suddenly finds herself face-t0-face with a young woman who could be her daughter; while every instinct tells her to run, Gemma decides to stay. Stay and see if this student is her child, stay and continue her friendship with her unconventional downstairs neighbor, stay and find what happens with the P.E. teacher, stay and watch what happens when she starts to place roots in a community.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING is the tender tale of Gemma Jones' life and her struggle to love. Johnson tackles the importance of found family and what it means to 'grow up' when struggling with childhood trauma. The cast of characters is delightful and funny, and the ending was everything I could have hoped for.
Some readers may find the story slow, and Gemma's back and forth attitude frustrating, but it felt realistic to a person's growth journey. Healing is not a straight line, it takes time and work and there are often set backs, but I thought Gemma (and her found family) were great examples of being patient with yourself and others while healing and changing for the better.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
Daisy and Theo have had their ups and downs-- but after a grand adventure, and a few miscommunications along the way-- Daisy feels for certain that they're meant to be together forever. However, as one problem after another start to crop up, and Daisy allows her insecurities to boil over, she begins to question if her and Theo are meant to be together right now, much less for forever.
The fourth and final book in the Wildflower Lock series, FOREVER LOVE is one of the biggest will-they-won't-they books I think I've read in a while. I personally had some major issues with Daisy's decisions and actions throughout the story, and it made it difficult to realistically root for Daisy and Theo towards the end. However, this was a super quick read, and did have a satisfying ending if you're a big fan of the series.
Daisy and Theo have had their ups and downs-- but after a grand adventure, and a few miscommunications along the way-- Daisy feels for certain that they're meant to be together forever. However, as one problem after another start to crop up, and Daisy allows her insecurities to boil over, she begins to question if her and Theo are meant to be together right now, much less for forever.
The fourth and final book in the Wildflower Lock series, FOREVER LOVE is one of the biggest will-they-won't-they books I think I've read in a while. I personally had some major issues with Daisy's decisions and actions throughout the story, and it made it difficult to realistically root for Daisy and Theo towards the end. However, this was a super quick read, and did have a satisfying ending if you're a big fan of the series.