July, 2019

"The Grace Year" by Kim Liggett         

At the age of 16, the girls are marched out of town to a wooden enclosure, where they will spend a year. The Grace Year, is the time where the girls embrace their magic, and release it back into the wild, so they can return spent of magic and ready to marry. Tierney, a tomboy who has shied away from the other girls, is one of the Grace Year Girls. She quickly discovers that it is not just the wild and the poachers that she must fear, but also the other girls.         

I could not put this book down. It was utterly fascinating. Both the story and characters drew me in immediately. I can't wait to read more from this author!

"All the Flowers in Paris" by Sarah Jio

This book follows two storylines, Caroline and Celine. In the present day, after an accident, Caroline wakes up in a Paris hospital with no memories. Piecing together who she is, she finds that she lives as a near recluse in a sprawling but stark apartment. During WWII, Celine, a young widow with a daughter, works for her father's flower shop. An attractive woman, Nazi officers are drawn to her, putting herself and her family in danger. In the present, Caroline finds a number of letters that Celine wrote to her love.         

This book was a bit slow and extremely nostalgic. Caroline's timeline was pretty predictable. I wish the author had cut out Caroline's storyline and focused on Celine and her daughter. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

"We Walked the Sky" by Lisa Fiedler

In the 1960's, Victoria runs away from an abusive father and joins the VanDrexel Family Circus. After trying out a variety of jobs, she finds a talent for the tightrope and begins falling for one of the VanDrexel's sons. In the present day, Callie, Victoria's granddaughter, and her mother have left the circus to live and work at an exotic animal rescue facility. Callie, outraged that she is no longer walking the tightrope, is determined to rejoin the circus.         

This book was a bit boring. There was a lot of teenage angst, which was a bit off-putting. The book featured short alternating chapters, which made it feel like neither the story or characters were very well developed. Overall, a bust.

"I Escaped the California Camp Fire" by Brown, Peters, and S.D.         

When Troy's parents go out of town leaving him in charge of his little sister, all he wants to do is eat junk food, stay up late, and watch TV. Instead, he is woken by a black sky, clouds of smoke, and fire. Desperate to escape, Troy, his sister and their two pets try and drive away in their parents vehicle. When it becomes clear that the roads are jammed and the fire is almost on top of them, they are forced to flee on foot.         

This is a great middle-school or pre-teen book. It combines adventure, fortitude and survival together. Troy and his sister are both very believable characters. Although it was a bit too simplistic for an adult reader, I believe a younger age group will love it.

"Within Reach: My Everest Story" by Mark Pfetzer         

When teenager Mark Pfetzer sets his mind to something, he does it - including climbing Mount Everest. This book explores his interest in mountain climbing, and his journey to the most famous mountain.         

This was a very quick read. I believe pre-teens or middle school age children would love this book. I wish Mark had gone into more details about his climbs, which would have made the book a bit more interesting to an adult. Despite this criticism, it was well written, and I would recommend it to others.

"Stars of Alabama" by Sean Dietrich

This book follows several characters throughout the south during the Great Depression. Marigold, along and pregnant, leaves her baby in the woods while she searches for food. She is arrested, spends the night and jail and is near delirious from hunger when released. When she is finally able to return to the woods, her baby is missing. Paul and Vern, migrant workers, following screams into the woods where they find a baby with violet eyes. Despite putting an ad in the local paper, no one comes forth to claim her. Coot, a child preacher in the revival circuit, runs away after stealing thousands of dollars from his father, and the leader of the revival. Years pass, Marigold discovers that she has a talent for healing. Paul and Vern pick up a family abandoned by the road. Coot falls in with a tramp and struggles with the morality of a con-artist life.

     I had some issues with the book. The characters seemed very stereotypical and weak. The women in particular seemed off - they were either Madonna's or Magdalene's, which is pretty frustrating. Everything came together in the end in a pretty predictable way. Overall, not a book I would re-read or recommend.

"The Giver of Stars" by Jojo Moyes         

Englishwoman Alice marries American Bennett and travels with him to his home in a small town in Kentucky. Bored out of her mind, and a bit disillusioned with the marriage, she jumps at the chance to work as a pack-horse librarian. Led by Maggie, an independent and unconventional woman, the team of librarians faces challenge and criticism from the town leaders.         

Although the premise of the book seemed interesting, I found the story line extremely slow and the characters extremely stereotypical. The book was extremely predictable, and I found myself losing interest quickly. Overall, a bust.

"A Single Thread" by Tracy Chevalier 

Violet Speedwell is a surplus woman, one of the many females unable to find a husband after WWI. After moving out of her overbearing mother's home, Violet is lonely and barely able to make ends meet. After a chance encounter at the cathedral, she takes up with the Broderer's Guild - a group of women embroidering kneelers and cushions for the Cathedral. There, she finds friendship, contentment, and finally settles into herself.         

This was a very enjoyable read. The characters were extremely dynamic and realistic. I thought it was set in a fascinating time period. I am definitely going to watch out for more books from this author. Overall, highly recommended.