July, 2025 

 “The Union” by Leah Vernon

In the future, a black elite class rules and the lower classes serve.  Saige, a mixed race child, thwarts an assassination attempt against Avi, a future ruler.  Avi begins questioning a society divided by race.  In the underground, Saige begins exploring who she is, and looks for a path to freedom.

This book was all over the place.  It continually referenced past events, and the plot jumped from point to point.  Sections of the book were very disjointed.  The characters seemed stereotypical and lacked development.  The world itself was interesting, but the novel needs editing.  Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.

“The Unkillable Kitty O’Kane” by Colin Falconer

Born in a Dublin tenement, Kitty has a strong bond with Tom Doyle.  However, Tom leaves the tenement when they are teenagers and they lose touch.  Kitty runs away with a sailor, who also leaves her.  From there she lands a job as a maid on the Titanic.  On the Titanic, she meets Lincoln, a journalist.  The two survive and end up living together in New York.

  Together they travel to Europe, where they report on revolution and war.  Ending up in Russia, the pair is there at the Winter Palace and meet many important figures in the Russian revolution.

The book had huge jumps in time.  Important events were glossed over and told over a few paragraphs.  It felt like the author was trying to cram too much storyline into a small space.  As such, I did not feel like I really got to know the characters.  The character development was sparse.  Overall, not a book I would re-read or recommend.

“Wake in Winter” by Nadezhda Belenkaya

Nina, a student at Moscow University, falls into a job translating for Spanish couples who wish to adopt.  She quickly realizes the work has a dark side, one that slowly takes over her life.  

The story itself was interesting, but the writing style was odd.  The story jumped back and forth in time in a confusing way.  I liked the character of Nina and found her growth and transformation intriguing.  However, this isn’t a book I would reread or recommend.

“Milena and Margarete” by Gwen Strauss 

Milena and Margarete first met in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.  Immediate friends, they were soon inseparable.  Milena, a Czech journalist, known as the first translator of Kafka’s work, she was a feminist born in the wrong time.  German born Margarete became part of the Bolshevik Revolution and was later imprisoned by the regime.  They found love and comfort in each other's arms during the worst time of their lives.

This was a beautiful story of love and friendship during WWII.  The fact that they were able to find each other, and come together during horrible circumstances, shows that love will prevail.  Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

“Glamorous Notions’ by Megan Chance

After leaving her husband, Elsie begins a career in fashion design.  While in school she wins a scholarship to Italy.  She reinvents herself in Italy and falls in with Julia, who is more than she seems.  Jazz clubs, clandestine meetings, secret deliveries, all end up in murder.  After being forced from Italy, Elsie uses the name Lena and begins working as a costume designer for the movie studies.

The book felt all over the place.  The plot jumped in a hurried and rushed way.  Lena was not a very likeable character.  She was naive, clumsy, and stupid in relationships.  I found myself disengaging from the book with every decision that she made.  Overall, not a book I would reread or recommend.

“Don’t Try to Find Me” by Holly Brown

Rachel finds a message from her teenage daughter on the fridge “Don’t try to find me.”  She immediately calls her husband Paul, and they contact the police.  Meanwhile, Marley has taken the train cross country to meet up with a man she met over the internet.  Rachel begins to spiral, while Paul holds the family together and jumps into interviews and social media.  Marley’s relationship slowly begins to deteriorate.

This was a well written and engaging story.  I thought the characters were well developed and grew during the novel.  I thought Rachel was extremely relatable, and saw how the media can twist even the smallest things.  Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

“A Sky Full of Love” by Lorna Lewis

Nova has been held captive for 15 years.  Her husband and sister long gave up on her return, and ended up marrying one another.  When Nova is released, she longs for her family, and is reunited with her Mom, sister, husband, and daughter.  However, everyone is keeping the marriage a secret, waiting until she is more stable.

I struggled a bit with this book.  I did not find Leah to be very likeable.  I questioned a lot of her decisions and responses to her sister.  Nova’s quick recovery also seemed very unlikely.  She had a few panic attacks, but was then easily calmed by a  childhood friend.  Overall, not a book I would reread or recommend.