This book had a lot of action, consequences, injuries, anger, and loss. There was character development that mostly felt realistic. The love triangle was handled well with some great yearning moments. However, I want more believability for the world as a whole. Elements feel too convenient - oh, suddenly when we need it there's a demon bar or plantation oasis. Pacing was sometimes inconsistent.

I had never heard of Nancy Harkness Love before, and I only had vague ideas about women pilots around WWII, so this was an informative and engaging read for me. I still wanted more depth in Nancy's connections to other people; it read as though her deepest emotions were anger at injustice and mourning for the dead, but I also wanted to see the love and connections more on the page. 

I inhaled this historical account of the Belgian resistance hiding Jewish children from the Nazis around WWII - I hadn't ever really considered the Belgian perspective before. I felt like the ending was too abrupt, but the rest of the pacing worked well and overall this was moving and considerate to those it portrays. Children hold to their identities so tightly - it's heart-wrenching to consider how many had to adapt theirs in order to stay safe.

This was an intriguing look into history of Chinese women being brought to California under false pretenses in the early twentieth century. I did not know much of this history beforehand, so this provided valuable information in a compelling story, though sometimes the focus strayed for me - I wished we had more time with the women being saved rather than focusing so much on the one(s) saving them. Still, this sheds light on important history and the real people involved.

I inhaled this historical fiction about a real American man who was drafted and a prisoner of war in Germany AFTER WWII. I feel like this is a period of history I didn't know much about, so it was really interesting to peek into not just facts but the real emotions involved. I liked following the fictional German nurse's storyline, too; she just wanted to rescue her grandma and people like her. Moore did a good job of showing that everyone, whether in East Germany, West Germany, police, military, etc., was just trying their best to do the best they could. At times horrifying, at times moving, and always informative without being dry, this was what historical fiction should be.

I have read this book many times, and still each read is a delight and a masterclass in dialogue, character growth, and plot momentum. Austen is the expert at creating realistic people whose timeless romances get at the heart of what it means to be human. Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley: these are the archetypal ideals. But we learn so much from the variety of other couples explored here as well. My personal underrated favorites are the Gardiners. 

While the Pride and Prejudice retelling at a honeymoon was a great concept I was completely into, the execution - including a coma-induced additional P&P within the P&P within the story - lacked finesse for me. The main characters felt a little static and inevitable in their choices and motivations. At times, this dealt too lightly with the source material. I did not want to hear someone acting as Elizabeth Bennet call Jane & Bingley "adorbs," for instance. There were some great moments, and elements that I did enjoy - especially justice for Mary Bennet!

This felt more like a workbook guide than a traditional book, and I would've appreciated real life rather than only theoretical examples, but for what it is, this has a lot of important information. For example, the CLEAR acronym (Challenge, Learn, Evaluate, Adjust, Reframe) seems useful. The skills were explained well and repeated often so information could be fully absorbed. Smith is obviously knowledgeable as a guide, but the language is accessible without being condescending.

I've read Edgedancer several times, and I do think it is important as part of the overall Stormlight arc, but it feels a little flat as its own story. Lift has never been my favorite character, but I have high hopes for her eventual growth.

I'd never heard of "Mary Burchell" or the real girl behind the pen name, much less the use of opera to cover international rescues in war, so this was a fun discovery. The exploration of the sister relationship without it being paired with romantic relationships was refreshing for a WWII novel, though I definitely wanted more detail in their family (the brothers/sister-in-laws only make token appearances, and the parents are more caricatures). Structurally, the use of tiny named vignettes rather than typical chapters made the narrative disjointed. Still, this was an important story that I enjoyed learning.