Audrey

I've really enjoyed other books by Fredrik Backman and his writing never fails to speak to me. I wasn't super into the plot of this one not being a hockey fan (or sports fan in general), but there were a lot of passages and moments I really liked. I did go into this thinking my heart was going to shatter completely... I think I made it more devastating in my mind than it turned out to be. 

I don't know what I expected this book to be about, but this wasn't it. 

Loved the inspiration behind this book! I do wish it had been a little more fleshed out, but I enjoyed it. 

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. It's an interesting concept and in its way a chilling read, but I didn't feel connected to it at all. Something was off for me, but I don't know what. 

It wasn't until after I finished the book that I realized I've had the original memoir on my shelf waiting to be read. I'm not disappointed that I ended up reading the graphic adaption first. The illustrations added so much to the story. I was in tears. I hope to see Fr. Gereon Goldmann canonized someday. 

An interesting and sometimes haunting look at life for a young woman during the Korean War. I wish there had been a little more context to some parts. Some portions felt like the thought wasn't completed. Still, an intriguing graphic novel. 

I absolutely picked this book up for the cover and for the cover alone. Later glancing at the synopsis, I was excited to see it's a historical novel.    Glory Bea is certain that she is due for a miracle. She's seen them happen and firmly believes she's capable of making one happen for herself and her family after her father is ‘lost' to the war. Now that it's ended, she is certain her father will triumphantly return home. Miracles take time, that's all.    I appreciate how the book presents themes of grief and change to a middle grade audience. That said, the storytelling/voice is also very much geared toward kids which I struggled with as an adult. Absolutely a me issue. I think this is a great book for ages 10-12. 

Stacey Willingham is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Normally I struggle to connect with characters this age and in this setting, but I was absolutely absorbed into this story.    Margot's college experience isn't what she'd imagined it would be after the death of her best friend after high school. She muddles through her first year. Toward the end of her first year at college, she befriends Lucy, whose allure has Margot under a spell. When Lucy invites her to live with her and a couple of her friends off-campus, Margot accepts. Margot's friendship with Lucy feels like a rebirth of sorts. No longer does she feel like she's only the shadow of her childhood best friend. She's become part of Lucy's circle. Partway through sophomore year, a neighboring fraternity boy is killed. When Lucy suddenly disappears, all eyes turn to Margot, Sloane, and Nicole.    I ate up the dynamic between Margot and Eliza as well as Margot and Lucy. The relationships (and the characters in general) were so intriguing. The setting was a good match with the personalities. 

A good children's book showing 9/11 through the eyes of a young boy who finds himself in the midst of the attacks on the Twin Towers. 

A short summarized depiction of St. Maximilian Kolbe's life as told in his final days in Auschwitz. Wonderful artwork and such a heartbreaking yet inspiring true story.  

Years ago I watched the viral video of Eva Mozes Kor talking about her Auschwitz survival story. Her message of forgiveness has stuck with me. I later learned she'd written this memoir.    Straightforward yet impactful, the pages of this book are filled with the horrifying experiences Eva and her twin sister Miriam faced at the beginning of the war, in Auschwitz, and in particular, with Josef Mengele. Eva also discusses her life after the war and the impact of being imprisoned under such terrible conditions.    While the book ends on notes of forgiveness, Eva in no way condones the atrocities committed by the Nazis, rather, she elaborates that for her own freedom, she found forgiveness was the only way to escape the clutches of her memories. I've found her story and outlook on life inspiring. 

I could barely get through this book, unfortunately. Despite being based on a true story, both the story and the writing felt romanticized. I've struggled in the past with similarly toned books and have regretted my attempts to overlook the uneasiness I've felt about them due to a high rating average. This kind of World War II fiction just isn't for me. 

I've been trying hard to make my way through my physical TBR. I'm not sure how long I've had this book, but it's certainly been a while. However long it's been, I wish I'd picked it up sooner!    Based on a true story about a German woman who followed her husband and children into Auschwitz, this book follows Helene. Married to a Gypsy man, she chooses to follow him and their five children when they are arrested and taken to Auschwitz. There, her husband is separated from her and the children, however, Helene is permitted to stay with the kids in a special barracks. Being German, she is also granted other privileges, granted, life is still a nightmare.     Finding favor with Josef Mengele (sadly in part due to her twins), Helene is permitted to operate a nursery/school for the Gypsy children. This provides her and her children with slightly better living conditions, giving Helene the hope and strength she needs to take on each day. 

At first, I wasn't sure I was liking the direction the book was taking with Helene. It felt as though she was absolutely clueless about her surroundings. Of course, she would not have gone in with the knowledge we know now, but at the very beginning, it felt she was incapable of putting two and two together. As the book went on, I felt a shift in her character and I became far more invested. An emotional read, but a worthwhile one. 

Within the first few pages I was engrossed. Before I knew it, I was 30-40 pages in. Sadly, I lost momentum somewhere around there as it became overwhelmingly obvious what direction the story was taking.    Miranda's uncle disappeared around her twelfth birthday. For years she sought him out until he eventually faded into memory. Years later, she receives word of his death and finds out he's left his bookshop to her. He also left behind a series of clues for her to follow to find answers about not only his past but her own.    Again, I found the first pages gripping. Until it wasn't. There are too many clues dropped early on, leaving the mystery pretty much solved with a couple hundred pages to go. Because of this, I would consider it to be more of a work of literary fiction than a mystery. 

Initially, I was surprised to see this written in the third person and I wasn't sure how I was going to take to it as I'm accustomed to Holocaust memoirs where they're more like a diary of sorts (if not literally a diary). I'm glad I didn't let my assumption stop me from adjusting as I ended up enjoying the way it was told through the third person narrative. 

Father and son Gustav and Fritz Kleinmann were arrested and sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp. They survive there together for some time before Gustav learns he's going to be sent to Auschwitz. Refusing to be separated, Fritz insists on being taken as well.

I found Gustav and Fritz's story touching and inspiring. I also found some of the history to be unique compared to many other books I've read from this era. For example, early on in the book it discusses the lead-up to the war and the descriptions of the Nazi's taunts in such a vivid way that also depicts that their prejudice was not only toward the Jewish people but many others. In many ways, it felt like a novel because it was so atmospheric.

I've enjoyed previous books by Laura Dave such as The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes so I was excited to see another book from this author. I'd categorize this one somewhere between the two I mentioned — part mystery, part family-oriented drama.    Liam Noone's death is ruled accidental, but his daughter Nora is skeptical. Her stepbrother Sam shows up, and soon Nora finds herself pulled into uncovering her father's illusive past. The story narrates in and out from past to present as we learn about Liam's past.    Sadly I wasn't as into this story as I was with Laura Dave's previous books. It was enjoyable, but I think my reading tastes have changed in the couple of years since I've last read her work. I would have liked this to lean more on the side of thriller rather than romance/drama. Either way, the story itself was enjoyable, just not what I'd expected.    Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element for providing a free digital ARC of the book to read and review! 

A friend of mine initially recommended this book to me, saying I would love the setting and the fact that the protagonists are writers. I'm always skeptical of fantasy even though I did find the premise intriguing. When it was chosen as a group read with The Global Book Nook, I figured it was a sign that I needed to give it a go. I'm so glad I did!    Iris is doing all she can do when war breaks out between the gods' — at home, at work, and personally. While writing to her brother who is off fighting, she winds up beginning correspondence with her work rival Roman, albeit, unknowingly. This friendship becomes her saving grace.    I was glad that the fantastical element wasn't too overwhelming and was more of a backdrop than the main focus being someone who doesn't gravitate toward fantasy. I absolutely loved the aesthetic of it all as well as Iris and Roman's chemistry. All around this book was a lovely surprise for me and I look forward to reading the next book! 

I had high hopes for this one and it's partly on me for being let down. I haven't tolerated any sort of pandemic fiction (or nonfiction) well since 2020, however, my main issues with the book lay elsewhere. 

This Spanish Flu of 1918 hits Philadelphia. Young Pia is left to fend for herself as well as her younger brothers. A series of events lands her in an orphan asylum and separated from her brothers, who have since disappeared. She winds up working with the sick and other children, all the while trying to locate her family.

I might have had more tolerance for this story if the nuns at St. Vincent's weren't stereotypical tormentors. While I can agree these institutions were far more strict at this time in history, there are some things that have not changed such as the general teachings of Catholicism which were falsely represented here. This was a major distraction for me. Aside from this, the story itself was so-so for me. It felt more slow-paced than it needed to me. I didn't find the mystery all too intriguing, either. 

I've seen the Disney movie, I've seen two different productions of the musical, I've watched Peter PanGoes Wrong, and I've watched/read other movies and books that retold the story, yet until now, I'd never actually read the source material. I have to admit, I've liked many of the other versions/adaptions better. 

I feel as though a book like this needs no recap, so I'll go right into it.
 
I never expected the pacing to be so fast even though it's a children's book. Maybe being familiar with the plot is part of the reason, but I felt like whenever I blinked I was on a new scene. A lot of the material hasn't aged well, either, which being a classic comes to little surprise yet never fails to catch me off guard. Still, I adore the premise and always have, so I'm glad to have finally read the original novel. 

“The Most Famous Unknown Conductor.” 

Right from the subtitle I wanted to learn more about Stephen Gunzenhauser. In this memoir, he discusses his life, career, and background in music. I consider myself a casual fan of classical music and I attend the symphony on occasion so I was curious to learn more from an inside point of view.    Complete with pictures, the structure of the book is a chronological timeline of Stephen Gunzenhauser's life. He offers a unique look at the music industry, specifically live orchestras. Though I already had an interest in this topic to begin with, I believe others who are less inclined would also find the subject interesting as it is presented in a way that isn't at all intimidating. There are many recognizable names as well, which for me, added to my curiosity.    As interesting as I found the book to be, I also found the pacing to be quicker than I would have liked. In a way, most of the sections felt like shorthand. I would have enjoyed spending more time on some of the stories. At the same time, I was grateful that everything stayed on track and that the narration was cohesive.    Aside from taking a look at Stephen Gunzenhauser's life, the book also serves as a glimpse at the era of the mid-20th century. This includes letter scans from people such as Robert F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Fred Rogers, etc. as well as general moments of history mentioned in passing. I found these to be intriguing additions. But, of course, nothing tops the discussion of music — be it the industry itself or different pieces of music. It was difficult not to set the book down and build a playlist.    Perhaps needless to say, Stephen Gunzenhauser has had an impressive career and has led an interesting life. I'm glad he took the time to share his stories.

Thanks to Discovery for inviting me to receive a free digital copy to read and review!

Given the title, I don't know why I was surprised by the fact that this book is just as much a dystopian novel as it is a mystery. I don't know if my opinion of the story would have been different had I gone into it knowingly, but it definitely did take me by surprise.    I struggle to give a synopsis of this because I found it tricky to follow on audiobook. The delivery may be better suited for paper. The gist of the story is that a small island community is cut off from other parts of the world due to a dense fog that surrounds them. They live in relative peace, that is until one of their important scientists is found murdered, jeopardizing their security system.    A common problem I find in several of the dystopian books I've read is that the universes are presented as though the reader already knows every intricacy. I felt lost from start to finish, feeling only slightly enlightened as the book went on. Again, this might have been less of a problem if I'd been reading it with my eyes. Even still, it felt like as a whole there were a number of gaps in regards to both plot and character. By the end, I felt nothing had resonated.    Trouble following aside, I enjoyed the narrator, James Cameron Stewart's performance on the audiobook.    Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing me with a free audio ARC of the book! 

I see a lot of people comparing this book to Where the Crawdads Sing. Though I've been curious about that book, I've yet to read it. I was kind of glad about this as I didn't have a comparison in mind.    Dr. Erin Landry's body is found on Elijah Leith's property. The death is eerily similar to one of Elijah's novels, making him the prime suspect. Neighbors and residents of the town think him guilty and Elijah has to prove his innocence.    This book had a calm intrigue. I didn't find it particularly gripping, making it difficult to endure the slow pace. I also found the characters unremarkable, treading on the path of irritating at times. In general, a lot of the story and situations felt unrealistic. What I did enjoy was the writing itself, particularly how well the author captures the tone and atmosphere. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a free digital ARC of the book to read and review!

A lovely and emotional story of a Jewish girl in hiding during World War II accompanied by beautiful illustrations. It's a story of growth and courage as well as acceptance. Totally won my heart!

A bittersweet story of two kids escaping a Nazi-enforced Jewish ghetto during World War II. There is a lot of action as well as heart. 

This is the second graphic novel I've read based on Anne Frank's life and her diary. This one has been authorized by The Anne Frank House and follows the diary closely while also exploring what her life might have looked like after being discovered in the Secret Annex. It was straightforward and a good option for people who may be intimidated by reading her full diary.