March, 2022
"Forbidden City" by Vanessa Hua
When a recruiter comes to her small town in China, Mei is chosen to serve the communist party in the capital. With a handful of other girls she is taught to dance, hold herself with grace, and to please the party elites. Almost immediately Mei captures the attention of Chairman Mao and becomes his mistress.
I had a hard time putting this book down. It was absolutely fascinating. Mei was an interesting and dynamic character. The plot was well paced and held my attention. Overall, highly recommended.
"Take My Hand" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
At the beginning of her nursing career, Civil Townsend begins work at the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic. At the clinic, she is horrified to discover that young girls are being put on unnecessary birth control. When she takes two of her patients, 11 and 13 year old sisters, off the shot, her supervisor has the young girls sterilized. Civil, is ready to fight. Alternating with that story, Civil is at the end of her career as a doctor, and is making a trip back to Alabama where everything started.
Wow, I am still horrified at what happened to those two little girls. I am glad that Civil was willing to fight back. I thought this was a very interesting and well paced read. The modern day story wasn't really necessary, an epilogue would have served just as well. I found myself researching sterilization and the Tuskegee Syphilis Studies after reading this book. I hope it brings attention to both of these horrifying issues. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.
"On A Night of a Thousand Stars" by Andrea Yaryura Clark
Paloma, the daughter of Santiago, an Argentine diplomat, is instantly intrigued when she meets a person from her father's past. The stranger suggests that her father's past is more heroic than she could have none. When the family travels to Argentina, Paloma is determined to uncover more of the story. There, she meets Franco, an activist member who are composed of children of the disappeared. Alternating with the past, things are heating up politically. Santiago, a university student, in unsure what to do when people around him begin to disappear.
I knew very little about Argentina and the Dirt War before reading this novel. I found this book well paced, fascinating, and hard to put down. While Santiago's story was more compelling, the modern day story served to unite the generations and explain the past. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.
"The Great Stewardess Rebellion" by Nell McShane Wulfart
Beginning in the 1960's, the Stewardess' decided that they had enough. Enough of the low pay, weight checks, , age restrictions, marriage restrictions, and pregnancy restrictions. Together, they began to work with their union to fight these discriminatory practices. This book focuses on a handful of these women who changed the labor laws for the better. Well written and paced, this both informative and easy to read. 5 out of 5 stars.
"Shadows of Berlin" by David R. Gillham
After surviving the horror of WWII, Rachel moves to America with her Uncle Fritz. She marries Aaron and tries to blend into a normal life. However, her past constantly creeps in, making her depressed, difficult to live with and unpredictable. When her Uncle finds one of her mother's paintings, the past threatens to overwhelm Rachel.
I had a hard time with this book. I thought that it was rambling, all over the place. Some of the characters felt stereotypical and the plot was pretty predictable. This is not a book I would reread or recommend.
"The Guidal: Discovering Puracordis" by Roxy Eloise
Set in a dystopic future, Aurora is being raised by the government in a military like setting. When she becomes an adult, she undergoes the mandatory unity ceremony, where she is paired up with Pax, a man she is now required to marry. In this world magic is feared and punished by death. When Aurora begins exhibiting symptoms of magic, she must determine who she can trust.
I could not put this book down. The world was well crafted, the characters were rich and dynamic and the book unraveled at a wonderful pace. I can't believe this is the first novel from the author. I can't wait to read more! 5 out of 5 stars.
"Upgrade" by Blake Crouch
This book is set in a future where gene modification nearly wiped out humanity. Logan works for a government department investigation cases of gene modification. During a raid an explosion launches a virus into Logan's body which changes and enhances his genes. When the changes begin to manifest, his coworkers place him in a black site location to test and monitor the modifications. Logan's sister, who has also been modified, breaks him out of the black site. Together, they learn that their mother is behind the changes, with a plan to change the entire world.
I like Blake Crouch and his storytelling, but I did not enjoy this particular book. I am not a fan of "super" humans, and do not enjoy this type of book. The author did a good job with the subject matter, it just wasn't for me. I am looking forward to the author's next book, he is definitely one of the greats!
