December, 2016

“Lindell’s List” by Peter Hore         

During WWII, Mary Lindell served as a British agent in occupied France. When she was captured and sent to Ravensbruck, she created a list of American and English prisoners. Despite the Nazi’s denial of American and English female prisoners within the concentration camp, her list proved otherwise.         

This was an interesting story. I’m not sure how well Mary Lindell was presented, as the author continually talked about Mary embellishing and exaggerating. This combined with the writing style and point of view made Mary seem less than real. Overall, not a bad book, just not one that I would reread.

“Beautiful Hero: How We Survived the Khmer Rouge” by Jennifer Lau         

Meiyeng led her family of eight through genocide, starvation, disease and unthinkable atrocities in Cambodia. Despite the fact that one/third of the country’s population died during this time, Meiyeng kept her family together and alive. Told from her daughter’s point of view, this was a heart wrenching story of survival and determination. This was a fascinating book, it was hard to put down. I haven’t read much about the Cambodia genocide and this book was an eye opener. Overall, highly recommended.

“The Dead Inside” by Cyndy Etler        

When Cyndy’s parents decided that she was a drug addict, she was placed in a rehabilitation camp called Straight, Inc. Designed to break the spirit, the program used a variety of shocking techniques to remold their charges into “good” kids.         

I thought this was a really interesting story. I didn’t realize that facilities like this really existed. My only complaint is that the author skipped a large chunk of time that Cyndy spent in the facility. I would have liked to see how the brainwashing techniques affected her over time. Overall, well worth reading.

“The Magdalen Girls” by V. S. Alexander         

In 1962, Teagan was sent to the Magdalen Laundries on the mere suspicion that she was sexually tempting to a local priest. A workhouse of sorts, the convent was designed to rehabilitate sinner’s through dull physical labor and deprivation. Nora, sent to the convent for making out with her boyfriend, and Teagan quickly form a bond. Lea, a life long resident of the convent, befriends the girls, but can’t imagine life anywhere else. Nora and Teagan plot escape, wishing desperately to return to the freedom they once had.         

This was an interesting look into the Magdalene Laundries scattered throughout Ireland. It provided a glimpse into a hard-to-imagine reality of many girls who were locked away forced to labor at the whim of their family members. Overall, this book was well paced and a good read.

“Water on Mars” by Kate Rauner         

This is the fourth book in the Mars Colonization Series. Now that civilization has stabilized on Mars, the pressure of survival has somewhat lifted for Mars’ citizens. Bliss, a small town girl, is moving to Kamp Kans to work on a special project to build a waterfall. When Earth reveals that they are sending a cargo shipment to Mars, excitement and intrigue once again threatens Mars’ survival.         

Well written, this is another winner. Bliss is well developed and a sympathetic and interesting character. The story line and details continue forward in a well written and intriguing manner. This series would definitely make an interesting television series. I look forward to reading more from this author.

“The Patriots” by Sana Krasikov         

During the Great Depression, Florence leaves her life in America for Russia. In the present day, Julian, Florence’s son, travels from the U.S. to Russia with the goal of reading Florence’s KGB file. I’m not entirely sure what to say about this book. It was very long and tedious and seemed to drag on and on. I kept waiting for it to get better, but it just didn’t. Not even the KGB file was interesting or intriguing. Overall, a bust.

“The Purple Diaries” by Joseph Egan         

1930’s Hollywood was a glamorous and fascinating place. When one of the top stars of the day, Mary Astor, decides to divorce her husband, the ensuing custody battle and threat to release her infamous diaries has the American public riveted. The diary, purported to list the names of Mary’s lover’s, threatened the lifestyle of the screen’s leading men. This was a fascinating book. It was well paced and contained enough back story to engage the imagination. Overall, well worth picking up.

“A Single Stone” by Meg McKinlay         

In this dystopic world, young girls are sent into the cracks and crevices of the mountainside to harvest fuel. Without this fuel, the village risks death during the long winter. Jena, the leader of the line of seven, has spent years wrapping her limbs and eating the minimal amount of calories to keep herself alive. When Jena realizes that children are being born earlier and earlier, she wonders if the Mothers are risking the life of mom and child for tiny, petite babies.         

This was a unique and well written story. The world is well thought out, and well developed. I think this is a book that would appeal to many age ranges. I would love to read more from this author, mainly because of her creativity. Overall, well worth picking up.

“Innocent Traitor” by Allison Weir         

Raised by domineering and unyielding parents, Lady Jane Grey wants nothing more than to study and live a quiet life. Instead, her parents thrust her into the spotlight, hatching a scheme to make her Queen of England. When her cousin Edward dies, her parents force the crown upon her, usurping the rightful heir. Nine days later, she is dethroned.

     This was an interesting story set in a very dynamic time period. However, the writing seemed to get bogged down at times and was a bit dense. The story seemed to unravel rather slowly. Some of the characters came off as real, but others lacked dimension. Overall, not a great book, but I look forward to reading more from this author as she transitions from nonfiction to fiction.