January, 2015

"Waiting for the Moon" by Kristin Hannah         

A woman throws herself off the cliffs, hoping to commit suicide.  She wakes up in an insane asylum, unable to remember anything about her past.  I quickly grew bored with this book.  I didn't particularly like Ian, and I grew really bored with Selena.  I have loved Kristin Hannah's other books, but this one was a bust.

"Tokyo Bay" by Anthony Grey         

When Commodore Matthew Perry sails into one of Japan's sacred bay's, he sets off a chain of events that will determine whether or not Japan will leave the past and enter the modern world.  This book follows Robert Eden, a half-Indian, half-American Navy officer who decides to take matters into his own hands.         

Overall I enjoyed this book.  However, I do have a few criticisms.  The book was a bit long and slow at times.  I really grew tired of the endless descriptions of mount Fuji.  However, Eden and the Japanese characters were particularly interesting.  They kept me reading when otherwise I may have put the book down. 

"Learning the Ropes" by Monique Polak         

Mandy had dreamed of becoming a circus aerialist and specializing in rope climbing.  She is accepted in the Montreal Circus College summer program, where she is thrown in with other circus hopefuls.  This was a short and quick book.  It will be very appealing to teenagers and pre-teens.  Overall, an easy read.

"Shadows Over Paradise" by Isabel Wolff         

Jenni is a ghostwriter.  When she is called upon to record Klara's story, Jenni is instantly excited, until she realizes she will have to travel to the place where her baby brother died.  Conflicted about her guilt over her brother, and arguing with her boyfriend about having children, she is in an emotionally sensitive state.  The chapters alternate between Jenni's struggles, and Klara's story.  During WWII, Klara, along with her mother and brother, is imprisoned in an internment camp ran by the Japanese.        

The book took a while to really get started, but when it did, I was hooked.  I found Klara's story utterly captivating.  Jenni's journey was a bit less interesting to me, but she grew on me throughout the book.  Overall, well worth a read!

"Girl at War" by Sara Novic         

This book moves back and forth through time, telling the story of Ana Juric.  At the tender age of ten, she finds herself and her family caught in the middle of the Yugoslavian Civil War.  When she barely escapes death, she finds herself alone, nearly buried in a pit of bodies.  The book then jumps forward ten years, depicting Ana as a student in New York.          

I thought this was a fascinating story.  I really felt for Ana as she lost one family and found another in America.  I did think the book ended a bit abruptly.  I thought the book desperately needed a few more chapters to wrap things up or at least an epilogue.  Otherwise, highly recommended.

"He Wanted the Moon" by Mimi and Eve Claxton Baird         

This book is more than a daughter's tribute to her father.  It is a tale of mental illness, and how it can derail a life.  When Mimi's father was six, she was told that her father, Perry, was "away."  Suffering from manic depression, Perry was in a mental hospital, desperately struggling to remain sane.  Perry's journal entries show us that he was very intelligent, a rising medical star, but had been sidetracked by the stigma and helplessness of mental illness.  Overall, an interesting book, well worth picking up.

"The Long Walk" by Ruth Treeson         

After three long years of capture, Rutka finds herself free.  She quickly decides to walk back to Poland, searching for her family.  The story has multiple flashback scenes, where the author shows why Rutka was in the hands of the Nazi's.         

I thought Rutka's story was powerful.  I felt that at times the flashback scenes were a bit long and seemed to ramble, but otherwise I thought the story was well written and engaging.  Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

"The Midwife of Venice" by Roberta Rich         

When Hannah is approached in the middle of the night to save a noble Christian woman, she is torn between the law, which criminalizes Jewish midwives from tending to Christians, and doing what is right.  To complicate matters, her husband has been enslaved, and she is desperately trying to raise the money to ransom him.  With the use of birthing spoons, a type of forceps, she safely delivers the baby boy.  The use of such an instrument, could be considered witchcraft among the citizens of Venice.         

This was a fascinating book with interesting and vibrant characters.  I found the novel's setting captivating, and loved reading about Venice.  I can't wait to read the sequel!

"Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran" by Marion Grace Woolley         

Afsar, the eldest daughter of the shah, has lived a privileged and sheltered life.  When the circus comes to the harem, she meets Vachon, a mysterious performer who wears a mask to hide a deformity.  Afsar befriends Vachon, and together, they explore the darker sides of their souls.  When Afsar finds a penchant for murder, it seems that the duo is unstoppable.

     I'm hard pressed to describe this book.  It was disturbing, yet oddly fascinating at the same time.  I don't know that I would re-read it, but I was hard pressed to put it down.  Overall, an intriguing story.

"At the Water's Edge" by Sara Gruen

Maddie follows her husband and close friend to a tiny Scottish village in the midst of WWII.  Their intent, to find the monster allegedly roaming the waters surrounding the village.  They find themselves in an inn, not quite up to their rich exacting standards, but it is the only place that will have them.  As Maddie's husband grows more and more anxious about the monster, he begins treating her horribly, making her question their entire relationship.        

Although the book started out a bit slow, Maddie quickly grew on me.  I found the characters at the inn very charming.  I could have read an entire story about their lives.  I enjoyed this book and would love to read a sequel.

"The Harem Midwife" by Roberta Rich         

The sequel to the Midwife of Venice, this book follows Hannah and Isaac to Constantinople.  Hannah becomes midwife to the Imperial Harem, as is called upon to verify the virginity of Leah, a Jewish maiden.  Hearing Leah's tragic story, Hannah lies, telling the sultan's mother that the girl is intact.  When Hannah discovers that Leah is four months pregnant, she scrambles to save the girl's life.         

This was an excellent book, I read it in one night.  The characters continue to intrigue with their realism.  I would love to read more from this author and hope another sequel is in the works!

"The Last Jews in Berlin" by Leonard Gross         

The Jews of Berlin were shipped to death camps, starved to death, worked to death, committed suicide or were outright murdered.  Only a handful of Jews managed to survive the entire war in Berlin.  Leonard Gross has interviewed these people and compiled a book about their life and survival.         

I thought this was an interesting slice of history.  It was fascinating to read about how these courageous men and women survived.  At times the names did seem to run together, but that is more my fault than the author's.  Overall, well worth reading