Back of Book: 

In his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden “the first book,” and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

Adam Trask came to California from the East to farm and raise his family on the new rich land. But the birth of his twins, Cal and Aaron, brings his wife to the brink of madness, and Adam is left alone to raise his boys to manhood. One boy thrives nurtured by the love of all those around him; the other grows up in loneliness enveloped by a mysterious darkness.

First published in 1952, East of Eden is the work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. A masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

n his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden “the first book,” and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

Adam Trask came to California from the East to farm and raise his family on the new rich land. But the birth of his twins, Cal and Aaron, brings his wife to the brink of madness, and Adam is left alone to raise his boys to manhood. One boy thrives nurtured by the love of all those around him; the other grows up in loneliness enveloped by a mysterious darkness.

First published in 1952, East of Eden is the work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. A masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis.

Back of Book: 

With precisely 35 canvases to his credit, the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer represents one of the great enigmas of 17th-century art. The meager facts of his biography have been gleaned from a handful of legal documents. Yet Vermeer's extraordinary paintings of domestic life, with their subtle play of light and texture, have come to define the Dutch golden age. His portrait of the anonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has exerted a particular fascination for centuries—and it is this magnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier's second novel of the same title.

Girl with a Pearl Earring centers on Vermeer's prosperous Delft household during the 1660s. When Griet, the novel's quietly perceptive heroine, is hired as a servant, turmoil follows. First, the 16-year-old narrator becomes increasingly intimate with her master. Then Vermeer employs her as his assistant—and ultimately has Griet sit for him as a model.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Set on a North Dakota reservation, The Grass Dancer reveals the harsh price of unfulfilled longings and the healing power of mystery and hope. Rich with drama and infused with the magic of the everyday, it takes readers on a journey through both past and present—in a tale as resonant and haunting as an ancestor’s memory, and as promising as a child’s dream.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical | Fantasy 

Review: 🌟🌟

It pains me to say this, but I feel that 98% of this book flew right over my head. I really liked the beginning of this one, but the perspective jumped around so much that it was hard to keep track of who was who. The fact that all the characters were related didn't help me much. I genuinely enjoyed the parts about Pumpkin, Harley, Charlene, and Lydia, but pretty much the meaning of everything else alluded me. 

Despite not knowing what was going on throughout most of this book, I could feel the pain that the women went through in this one. Anna, Red Dress, Lydia, and Charlene all go through so much pain, suffering, and heartbreak that my heart couldn't help but go out to them, even if I didn't really understand all of how they were connected. 

Overall, I found parts of this book really interesting, some really boring, and others plain confusing. I can't even say that this one is a bad book, but I was just really lost while reading most of it. Despite this, I still felt for the characters and I found the powwow scenes at the beginning and end to be really enlightening. The elements of magical realism in this one are also neat. 

Back of Book: 

It's 1977, and the anti-shah protests at Tehran University are intensifying. Amineh will soon have her degree in Persian literature, but unlike her peers, she does not want to fight for a say in her country's future. Her thoughts are on the literature of another era and on her past of rose harvests and Sufi poetry readings under the desert sky. A chance encounter with a nuclear disarmament activist will thrust her into a life she didn't ask for and didn't want. Nobody wanted the tyranny that is quickly turning worse than the tyranny it replaced. But maybe Amineh has been looking at her life all wrong. Maybe the thing she is seeking is not in the past at all.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

"Half a Cup of Sand and Sky" is a beautifully written story about an Iranian women's lifelong struggle to find love among all the loss that is raining down upon her and her country. Told among the turmoil taking place in Iran in the 1970s and beyond, Amineh's story is a touching one that I will not soon forget.

This book was a different kind of read for one main reason: It didn't have much of a plot. Rather, the novel follows Amineh through her college days, to the early days of her marriage, to the tumultuous relationship she has will her politically driven husband, Farzad, to the birth of her children, all the way to the point when her kids start to get married. The novel highlights the relationships that she creates, the grief that she feels, and the lack of happiness that she cannot seem to truly obtain.

The two main reasons I cherish this book is that it shines a positive light on the Middle East during a time when many Americans feel great hatred toward these people, and how inspiring Amineh's story is, despite the often depressing nature of her life's trajectory. I found that even though Amineh suffers so much and regrets many of her life decisions, she never gives up on finding her happiness, even if she delays the fact for many years. During her youth, she dreamed of writing a book about her parents and her childhood, but after her marriage, she no longer had the time or the willpower to continue this feat. Eventually though, her dream does come to fruition, and I think that Amineh's journey is such a powerful one that can show readers that they should never stop fighting for their dreams and that a little (or a lot) of patience can go a long way.

Despite everything I love about this novel, I still didn't feel one hundred percent absorbed into every part of the story. I ate up the beginning, but found myself drifting away when the story got too tangled up in Farzad's political organization. The moments involving his group were usually spread out pretty well, but their were certain times when there was large globs of politics that had me drifting away. Farzad's political involvement was an important piece of the story, so it was imperative that it was included, but I found that it hindered the rest of the story for me.

Overall, "Half a Cup of Sand and Sky" isn't the most invigorating read of all time, but it was a heartfelt book with elaborate characters that made me root for their happiness until the very last page. In many ways, the novel reminded me of Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner," which is another book I cherish immensely. Though very different, they both center on humanizing people from the Middle East and are written with such wonderful prose and with creative uses of symbolism throughout. I hope that people who are fans of Hosseini's work discover this book, because I am sure that they would also enjoy "Half a Cup of Sand and Sky." Amineh's tale is one of grief, loss, and the search for love set against extreme political turmoil. Stories like Amineh's need to be told, and I hope that more people take it upon themselves to read them.

Back of Book: 

In the summer of 1898, Sequoia Owen accepts an invitation from his estranged uncle to visit his family' s summer home on Todeket, a private island off the Connecticut coast. Yet the house, constructed by Sequoia's unstable grandfather and the site of his cousin's mysterious death, is a strange place. None of his odd relatives, who seem to have sinister agendas of their own, can agree upon the origin of the house, nor do they all believe the sightings of a ghost that haunts its halls, said to appear before tragedy strikes. Trapped on the island by a storm, Sequoia must unravel the enigma of Todeket before the next life lost is his own. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical | Mystery 

Review: 🌟🌟 

A suspenseful historical fiction read set on a remote island that seems to be haunted. 

Sequoia Owen is finally accepting his estranged uncle's offer to visit their family's summer home on Todeket Island. It's 1898 and the stakes for Sequoia have never been higher. Upon arriving on the island, Sequoia meets his mentally unwell aunt Geneve who is convinced that her son's ghost is following Sequoia's every movement. In the span of one weekend, Sequoia has found himself confronted with much more than he has bargained for. He must try to unravel Todeket's mysterious secret before it is too late. 

Honestly, I found this book to be quite boring. I signed up to read this book due to the fact that it is pitched as a short historical suspense novel, so I figured I'd fly through it. Yes, I may have finished it in a matter of days, but not because it was exciting or thrilling. I found that I had little interest in Sequoia, Todeket Island, or the mysterious ghosts that were supposedly haunting the island. 

The only thing this book really had going for it was that the writing was quite eloquent at times; there are certain passages contained within that I found to be quite poetic and astute. After Sequoia wakes up on the boat, the story picks up a little bit, but not enough to truly redeem the story after the lackluster beginning. 

After thinking about this book for a little bit, the biggest theme seems to be the discussion on the morality of war and whether or not it is necessary. Many of the characters seem convinced that war is the only way to truly build a man's character and death is the only way to really appreciate life. Sequoia on the other hand, is quite opposed to war and violence. This is one of the only overarching things that I noticed about this novel, so I figure I would touch on it briefly. 

Overall, "The Island of Small Misfortunes" was not my cup of tea. I found it to be quite boring and a tad longwinded despite its small page count. I think if one enjoys reading slower moving historical novels and looking at war with your philosophy cap on, one may find this read quite interesting. I on the other hand, just found myself bored and waiting for the book to come to a close. 

Back of Book: 

1970s Afghanistan: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what would happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to an Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

A mother and daughter find the courage to go undercover after stumbling upon a Nazi cell in Los Angeles during the early days of World War II—a tantalizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series. 

June 1940. France has fallen to the Nazis, and Britain may be next—but to many Americans, the war is something happening "over there." Veronica Grace has just graduated from college; she and her mother, Violet, are looking for a fresh start in sunny Los Angeles. After a blunder cost her a prestigious career opportunity in New York, Veronica is relieved to take a typing job in L.A.—only to realize that she's working for one of the area's most vicious propagandists.

Overnight, Veronica is exposed to the dark underbelly of her new home, where German Nazis are recruiting Americans for their devastating campaign. After the FBI dismisses the Graces' concerns, Veronica and Violet decide to call on an old friend, who introduces them to L.A.'s anti-Nazi spymaster.

At once, the women go undercover to gather enough information about the California Reich to take to the authorities. But as the news of Pearl Harbor ripples through the United States, and President Roosevelt declares war, the Grace women realize that the plots they're investigating are far more sinister than they feared--and even a single misstep could cost them everything.

Inspired by the real mother-daughter spy duo who foiled Nazi plots in Los Angeles during WWII, Mother Daughter Traitor Spy is a powerful portrait of family, duty, and deception that raises timeless questions about America—and what it means to have courage in the face of terror.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

It has been quite some time since I've read a historical novel, and I am glad that I got around to reading "Mother Daughter Traitor Spy." It is a moving account of two strong women who helped fight against Nazism in the United States during the 1940s. I didn't know much about the Nazi movement in the U.S. so it was an enlightening read and it made it abundantly clear that Americans were NOT immune to the propaganda that was being spread prior and during World War II.

"Mother Daughter Traitor Spy" follows a young women named Veronica and her mother Violet (Vi). They were inspired by two real women who were mother and daughter and fought against the Nazis by acting as spies in Los Angeles. Veronica and Vi end up moving from New York to L.A. after some unfortunate business, but they are shocked by all of the anti-semitic ideals that surround them. Veronica decides to take on a job as a typist, but upon accepting the job, she learns that her employer is a Nazi spreading propaganda to the people. Veronica and Vi cannot stand this sort of thing and turn to the local police, then the FBI, but nobody gives them the time of day until they turn to the Navy. After getting in contact with them, Veronica and Vi are offered the chance of a lifetime: to work as spies to weed out the Nazis that heavily populate L.A. and the U.S. as a whole. Of course, they accept the offer and the true action begins.

This tale is full of courage, suspense, and emotion. I didn't understand how prominent Nazism was in the United States or that people could truly be so cold-hearted to people who weren't of the Aryan race. This book was quite difficult to read at times due to all the hate, but it made me feel so much respect for these women who stood up against such haters.

Overall, I enjoy reading "Mother Daughter Traitor Spy," but even more so than that, I learned a bunch from it. I don't often read historical novels, but I'm trying to expand my horizons a little more. If you are interested in a feminist driven tale of danger and suspense, you should totally give this standalone novel a try!

Back of Book: 

He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for "a reliable wife." She responded, saying that she was "a simple, honest woman." She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving her a wealthy widow, able to take care of the one she truly loved.

What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own. And what neither anticipated was that they would fall so completely in love. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical 

Review: 🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Set against the backdrop of developing modern China, this mesmerizing literary debut is part coming-of-age tale, part family and social drama, as it follows two generations searching for belonging and opportunity in a rapidly changing world.

Shanghai, 2007: Fourteen-year-old Alva has always longed for more. Raised by her American expat mother, she’s never known her Chinese father, and she is certain a better life awaits them in America. But when her mother announces her engagement to their wealthy Chinese landlord, Lu Fang, Alva’s hopes are dashed. She plots for the next best thing: the American School in Shanghai. Upon admission, though, Alva is surprised to discover an institution run by an exclusive community of expats and the ever-wilder thrills of a city where foreigners can ostensibly act as they please.

1985: In the seaside city of Qingdao, Lu Fang is a young married man and a lowly clerk in a shipping yard. Although he once dreamed of a bright future, he is now one of many casualties in his country’s harsh political reforms. So when China opens its doors to the first wave of foreigners in decades, Lu Fang’s world is split wide open after he meets an American woman who makes him confront difficult questions about his current status in life and how much will ever be enough.

In a stunning reversal of the east-to-west immigrant narrative and set against China’s political history and economic rise, River East, River West is an intimate family drama and a sharp social novel. Alternating between Alva and Lu Fang’s points of view, this is a profoundly moving exploration of race and class, cultural identity and belonging, and the often-false promise of the American Dream.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical 

Review: 🌟

The story of a fractured family told in dual perspectives amongst the turmoil of Chinese modernization.

I found myself extremely immersed in the beginning of this one. It was interesting to follow Alva, a fifteen year half-Chinese, half-American girl whose entire life changes when her mother, Sloan, marries a rich Chinese man named Lu Fang. Then when the perspective shifted back to Lu Fang's past, it was very interesting to see how Lu Fang's life had evolved and how his and Sloan's story mirrored and differed from the present situation of the family.

Unfortunately, as the story progressed, I just found myself losing interest in the story. And then I was hit by the scenes featuring morally gray subjects, which just completely alienated me from the narrative. The scene that goes down at the party with Alva was really hard to stomach and seriously made me want to DNF this book. I know that situations like this happen and it is important to talk about them, but I just feel like it was dealt with in a very poor way. Alva pretty much just drinks away her problems (which is pretty realistic actually), but I wish there would have been more of a resolution then just a quick chat with her mother. The entire situation between Lu Fang and Sloan also hit a point that gave me the ick, so I was no longer enjoying either perspective. My heart does go out to these characters for the harrowing and brutal experiences they go through, though.

Overall, I appreciate the topics that this book conquers, but I myself was not a huge fan. It hurts me to give this book such a low rating, but this novel only fills me with negative emotions, therefore I would be lying if I gave it anything higher. I feel this book has some important lessons to teach, but I think there are other ways that I have consumed similar content that didn't make me as mad or disgusted as this one did.

Back of Book: 

For historical fiction fans of women’s untold true stories, an early twentieth century novel about Jo van Gogh who battled the male-dominated art elite in her fifteen-year crusade to save her genius brother-in-law Vincent from obscurity.

In the tradition of The Paris Bookseller and Her Hidden Genius, the story of a real woman overshadowed in history by the giant talent she saved, Vincent van Gogh.

How did a failed belligerent Dutch painter become one of the greatest artists of our time?

In 1891, timid Jo van Gogh Bonger lives safely in the background of her art dealer husband Theo’s passionate work to sell unknown artists, especially his ill-fated dead brother Vincent. When Theo dies unexpectedly, Jo’s brief happiness is shattered. Her inheritance—hundreds of unsold paintings by Vincent—is worthless. Pressured to move to her parents’ home, Jo defies tradition, opening a boarding house to raise her infant son alone, and choosing to promote Vincent’s art herself. But her ingenuity and persistence draw the powerful opposition of a Parisian art dealer who vows to stop her once and for all, and so sink Vincent into obscurity.

Saving Vincent reveals there was more than one genius in the Van Gogh family. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟 

The little-known story of Jo van Gogh, the woman who saved Vincent van Gogh's art from obscurity. 

It's 1891 and Jo is living in the shadow of her husband, Theo van Gogh, an art dealer determined to sell unknown artists. When Theo suddenly passes away, Jo is forced to take things into her own hands. She opens a boardinghouse rather than move back in with her father, freeing her from the burdens of her family. Unwilling to let the van Gogh name fade into obscurity, Jo takes it upon herself to force the art world to take Vincent van Gogh seriously. 

I'm gonna be completely honest here: I know literally nothing about art history and picked up this book to see if it is something that interested me. I'm gonna say I'll pass next time. Despite the fact that I was greatly bored by over half of this book, I still feel that it is a well-written, well-researched book that showcases the power of a woman who risked everything to defy tradition and stand up for what she believes in. Stories like this are super important, and I'm glad that someone is showing Jo van Gogh the respect that she deserves. She does so much for a man that she only met a handful of times and whose family she was a part of for little over a year. This type of dedication is inspirational, and I hope people find solace in Jo's story. 

Upon finishing this book, I was shocked to learn that Raulf was a fictional character. Raulf is the art dealer that constantly faces against Jo and refuses to let van Gogh's work enter the Paris scene. He was the perfect addition to this story to keep constant pressure on Jo's endeavors that otherwise would have been a lot slower paced. The author did a wonderful job condensing all of van Gogh's critics into one entity who kept the story rolling. 

Overall, "Saving Vincent" is a book that is totally out of my typical genres that I read. Despite this, I didn't hate my time with this book, though I did find it to be incredibly slow and boring at times. I'm glad that this book notified me of Jo van Gogh's existence and gave me the chance to appreciate all she did for the art world. I have little interest in the history of art, but I can still look up to Jo's dedication to go against the norm and never give up on her ideals. 

Back of Book: 

Henry Dawson, sorcerer and apothecary assistant, works to support his mother and younger siblings after his father’s investments and consequent death leave them penniless. Invited to woo a reclusive heiress with magical empathy, he reluctantly accepts, despite a preference for earning his own way.

Emma Ainsworth fears smallpox scars and her hypersensitivity to others’ thoughts make her ineligible for marriage. Sheltered by her aunt and uncle, she has withdrawn from most social life and wears a veil whenever she must go out.

When a serious injury confines Henry to Emma’s estate for the summer, a verbal duel ensues—Emma wants to test her empathy in a sexual relationship, not marry him.

What neither admits is their fear that passion might burn them both. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Young Adult | Historical | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

A regency romance set in a magical world that's filled with banter, romance, and a plentiful helping of spice. 

Henry Dawson is a fallen noble, one that works his hardest to support his younger siblings and his mother's extravagant taste. After his father's sudden death, he's had little more to support himself with than his wits and his skill as a sorcerer. Desperate for cash, he accepts a job cataloging the books in a nobleman's library. It turns out Lord Ainsworth actually wants to hire Henry to woo and court his niece. With little choice, Henry accepts the job. Upon meeting Emma Ainsworth, Henry soon realizes that he has signed up for more than he had bargained for. Can Henry escape the house before Emma becomes the undoing of him. . . Or will he be forced to act on the passion that he is desperately trying to suppress? 

I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this one. Lately, I've felt that historical fiction has felt rather boring, but this one was anything but that. It was romantic, entertaining, and even quite comical!

Emma and Henry have such an interesting chemistry. Emma starts out hating him due to the fact that her uncle hired Henry to woo her, but she eventually finds herself warming to the young gentleman. Henry decides that since Emma seems to hate him, he'll back out of the agreement as soon as possible. When unexpected circumstances lead to Henry's stay being extended, the two find themselves constantly confined to small quarters, which has them frequently bickering with one another. Obviously, this bickering soon turns positive, and they begin to shift into friendlier territory as the book progresses. 

The magic is pretty subtle in this book, but also quite interesting. There are sorcerers and wizards that practice magic that allows them to do all sorts of things. Henry pretty much only uses his magic to shield his thoughts from others. This is important, because Emma is a highly sensitive empath who can sense other's thoughts so viscerally that it can often be painful. I think this alludes a bit to neurotypical people and how sensitive they are to loud noises and other people's actions. I can't confirm this, but that's how I viewed Emma's magic. 

The way that this one talks about physical beauty versus inner beauty was quite nice, in my opinion. Emma is marked by smallpox scars, which has many suitors turning away from her in disgust, despite the large fortune that she has. She often feels that people only perceive her as the scars on her face and the money in her pockets. Henry is the first young man to look at her deeper than that, which has her greatly puzzled and intrigued. 

Another thing I found interesting in this one is the discussion of virtue and premarital sex. This book is set in 1814 England, so these topics are obviously viewed a bit different than they are today. Henry is a young man who feels he owes it to his future wife to never bed another women. Emma, on the other hand, is a fair maiden who wants to test out whether she could manage to have sex without being in pain due to her abilities as an empath. Emma doesn't understand why Henry is unwilling to go to bed with her if she is willing. After all, society only seems to pressure young women into remaining chaste and virtuous until their marriage bed. I found this book to open a lovely discussion about such topics, and I thought it was interesting to compare their beliefs to the world that we are currently living in. Also, I am always down for something that highlights how different society's unfair expectations are towards men and women. 

I thought the ending of this book was very cute. Henry and Emma are both stubborn and foolish, so they get themselves into quite the pickle when their tongues were a bit too loose during a battle of wits. However, the way that everything is resolved was very romantic and sweet despite it being a tad silly. I found the ending to come all too soon, but I was pleased that the ending was mostly positive. 

Overall, "The Solitary Rose" was a fun historical fantasy brimming with romantic tension. I found the way that Henry and Emma constantly jab at one another to be quite comical and entertaining to read. The discussions about physical beauty versus inner beauty as well as those involving premarital intercourse are well written and open great paths for discussion. I'd say this one certainly reads as a regency rom com with a hint of magic, so if that sounds up your alleyway, I'd recommend checking this one out! 

Back of Book: 

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice. 

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical | Fantasy | Romance | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Back of Book: 

Three days after I was expelled from the Marable School for Girls, our poor Simon arrived.

In the 1920s gothic comedy Uncommon Charm, bright young socialite Julia and shy Jewish magician Simon decide they aren't beholden to their families' unhappy history. Together they confront such horrors as murdered ghosts, alive children, magic philosophy, a milieu that slides far too easily into surrealist metaphor, and, worst of all, serious adult conversation.

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical | Fanrasy | LGBTQIA+ | Novella

Review: 🌟 

A magical novella set in London during the 1920s featuring two young folk as they begin to question the society that they grew up in and the magic that surrounds their families.

Even after finishing this book, it's hard for me to say what it is actually about. It follows a young girl by the name of Julia and a shy gent by the name of Simon as they become friends and investigate the magic and mystery surrounding their families. Some dark stuff most definitely happened in their family's past, but I feel that this tale only alluded to some of the things that happened rather than explored any of it in depth. Which is weird, because I found this book to do a bunch more telling than showing, but I digress.

Though I am a little uncertain of the plot (or if it actually existed), some of the themes were sort of cool. It was neat to see Julia's mother be supportive of her daughter's passion for fencing, even while she was simultaneously overprotective of her. The fact that Simon's magic was connected to his faith was also sorta neat, but I'm not even entirely sure what was up with that. Something about believing they were connected, made them connected, or something?

Overall, "Uncommon Charm" was quite confusing, really boring, and somehow managed to drag despite the fact that this book isn't even one hundred pages long. I feel that it reads a bit like a short story intro to a longer work. . . but the longer work doesn't exist. I'm not exactly sure what I just read, but I'm pretty sure that I won't remember it in like a day

Back of Book: 

New York City, 1968: The customers at Café Marie don’t come just for the excellent coffee and pastries. They come for the sophisticated ambiance, and the illusion of being somewhere other than a bustling, exhausting city. Headwaiter Charles Ward helps create that illusion through impeccable service—unobtrusive, nearly invisible, yet always watchful.

It’s a skill Charles honed as a young Jewish boy in war-torn Europe, when avoiding attention might mean the difference between life and death. But even then, one man saw him all too clearly—a Nazi officer who was both his savior and tormentor.

At seventeen, Charles was deported to Auschwitz with his family. There he was singled out by Obersturmführer Berthold Werden, who hid him in his home. Their entanglement produced a tortured affection mixed with hatred that flares to life again, decades later, when Berthold walks into Café Marie.

Drawn back into Berthold’s orbit, Charles is forced to revisit the pain and the brief, undeniable pleasures of the life he once knew. And if he acts on his growing hunger for revenge, will he lose his only tether to the past—the only other witness to who he was and everything he endured—or find peace at last?

Book Number: Stand Alone 

Genre: Adult | Historical | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

A heartbreaking read following a gay man that survived the Holocaust only to remain haunted by the ghosts of his past... until he finds the courage to break through his chains and claim the identity that was always meant to be his. 

After finishing "We Are Only Ghosts" I am consumed by mixed feelings. On the one hand, it is a beautifully written narrative that was structured in a fascinating way that allowed me to really connect with the characters and break my heart in the process. On the other hand, there are many parts of this book that made me wonder how much of an expert Richards truly is on this subject. But the longer I think about it, the more I feel that Richards constructed a wonderful story of young Charles trying to reclaim who he once was before his life turned to a living hell and it just so happens that this event that Charles lived through was the Holocaust. 

When I first started reading this book, I was pretty convinced it wasn't for me. I found it a slow read filled to the brim with sex with interweaving time jumps that often had my head spinning. But as I kept reading this one, I came to realize the significance of all these things. The book is often slow because it is a reflection of Charles' life. Charles is a survivor of a heinous amount of sexual abuse, in which the roots become more clear the further into the book one reads. The story jumps from time period to time period, because it has a more emotional impact than if the story would have been told chronologically. This has got to be one of the best constructed books that I have read when it comes to intersecting timelines and why specific details were presented in a certain order. 

One of my favorite chapters early on is number sixteen, which goes into detail about Charles' experience meeting a young actress named Maude. This chapter has some great insights into acting on stage and how everyone in their daily lives is also an actor. As a theater girl, I ate this chapter up and I also found it very applicable to Charles' situation. Despite having to act as a whole different person than the one he was born as his entire life, Charles still finds himself surrounded by professional actors. This image is so powerful to me and really made me think about how little you can truly know about a person due to the different personas we all invoke in day to day life. No joke, if the rest of this would have sucked, I would have kept it on my shelf just for this chapter. Luckily, I ended up finding many takeaways from this one beyond that scene. 

The essential themes of this book are escaping the ghosts of one's past and reclaiming ones' identity. The extreme lengths that Charles' goes to in order to loosen the grip of the trauma that he's lived through and reclaim the boy he once was is intense. He does everything he must in order to survive and in the end, manages to use the various skills he has acquired in his time to keep on surviving. I also love how Richards' used ghosts as metaphors for many different things throughout this novel; he truly nailed this use of imagery. The final scenes in the book were quite touching and I could feel myself tearing up as Charles' returned to the place of his trauma and got to face the world as the boy he once was rather than the man that everyone forced him to become. 

Overall, I found "We Are Only Ghosts" to be a very intense read filled with heartbreak and turmoil, but also hope and redemption. I ended up liking this one more than I thought I would and was surprised by how emotional this one made me in the long run. Charles' goes through so much throughout the duration of this novel and I can't help but feel for him as he tries to overcome everything he has lived through. I can understand why people could think that this book is controversial (after all, it is written by someone who has little to no connection with the Holocaust), but the book feels well researched and I could tell that many of the topics presented were influenced by the author's own experiences. I think that there is quite a bit to glean from this one, despite the fact that it is a work of historical fiction and indeed is not a memoir. I hope people will be willing to put some of these things aside and give this book a chance. I think many of them will be surprised by what they discover.