Audrey

Lost me at ‘Jesus of Nazareth is a cat somewhere'. I'm not liking the reincarnation themes or where the story is going. Other reviews are confirming my fears that this is a book written for the sake of being depressing. 

I am so bored and cannot imagine pushing through another seven stories. This book also uses italics way too much. 

I wanted to love this book so much as I was fond of Brave Girl, Quiet Girl. I was hooked in the beginning but soon found this story difficult to follow with too many time and character jumps. 

I've seen videos on YouTube that talk about the story of Operation Mincemeat but if it was to any extent, I'd forgotten the details. It was the Netflix movie that fully captured my attention. When I happened upon this book in a used bookstore shortly after, I knew I needed to pick it up.

Sometimes the craziest ideas are the ones that work. Such was the case with Operation Mincemeat which involved planting a deceased ‘soldier' carrying fake documents in enemy waters. Finding a corpse that met the criteria was a challenge of its own, never mind having to pull off such an incredible feat. In the day of modern technology in medicine, it's easy to think that this all would be impossible. Even in the early 1940s this deception was a huge risk, but miraculously, it worked.

The book discusses many sides of the operation such as the inventors of the idea, the coroner tasked with finding an unclaimed body, the secretaries involved, the spies, and ‘William Martin' himself. There are sections that drag on and occasionally feel irrelevant, but as a whole, the book is well-researched and fascinating. 

I've always been drawn to the Anne of Green Gables stories but I honestly can't remember if I ever attempted to read them. Of course with many screen adaptions I was no stranger to Anne and always smiled when I saw anything depicting her. While I wish I could remember if I ever read the book in school or picked it up at the library, I feel I got much more out of it as an adult. I already want to read it again and was sad that I had to finish it. I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I've had this book on my TBR for a while now. I don't remember what drew me to it in the first place aside from it being historical fiction, so I went into it fairly blindly.    I was surprised in the opening pages to see it set in the future (2025) where we meet Woodrow Wilson Nickel toward the end of his life. After the introduction, the book follows him in the 1930s while tensions are building around the world when two giraffes are found to have survived a hurricane in transport. We follow their cross-country journey along with Woodrow and others.    It didn't register as I was reading that this book is inspired by a true story. I might have appreciated it more had I realized. I didn't find myself overly absorbed in the story, though I did enjoy the premise. It kept me good company during a day of commuting and waiting room visits, so for that, it was perfect. 

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

This is the first time I've listened to one of the Audible words and music memoirs. Sting has consistently been my number-one artist on my Spotify wrapped and yet I really don't know anything about him aside from his music. It was interesting the learn that The Last Ship was so heavily inspired by his life. It's my favorite album and I've seen the musical... I felt like such a fake fan having been in the dark about this. This was a great, short, and sweet look into the artists' life.

I have never been more thankful to be a woman of the 21st century. It's easy to hear existence of the history of women's oppression and shrug it off as something long ago with no relevance to our times. Hearing just how bad it was, (married) women having no rights at all, is infuriating. Elizabeth Packard's story is one of inspiration and persistence. Though there are still unfortunately areas where women are still not considered equal to men, it put things into perspective, and one has to be grateful for the times and assured hope is never lost.

That being said, I was not thrilled with the postscript portion of the book. I find comparing Mrs Packard's torture to modern day issues almost blasphemous (and frankly, ironic with one of the first quotes written in the book). I won't let this influence my rating of the story the book focuses on, but I must air my frustration that after spending three days enraptured by this book to have the afterglow tainted by modern opinion.

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.

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

It took a while to get into this despite how much I love the art and WWII plot. Having four points of view hundreds of years apart was hectic. I think I would have preferred Cecilia and Leonardo in one part and then Edith and Dominic in a second. The second half of the book definitely hooked me though, and it was a great and well researched 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. 

It's all right, I'm just not feeling it right now. The voice is younger than I'd prefer. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of the most discussed books I've come across on the internet. What's interesting is that it appeals to a wide range of readers. Personally, I was drawn to it because of its gothic elements. 

Dorian Gray wishes to sell his soul in an attempt to maintain perpetual youth. The catch: His painting bears the marks of time and the scars of an immoral life. He keeps the portrait hidden away as he continues living a life solely for his own pleasure. 

I find myself enjoying summaries and the general idea of this book more than the book itself. I also enjoyed a discussion of it that I found on YouTube. As for the actual reading experience? I was bored. There was so much that I could skim and stop whenever the story was being pushed forward.

I don't know if I'll enjoy this more reading with my eyes but as an audiobook I'm not at all into it. 

Thanks to the Cold War, it's easy to forget that there was a time when America and Russia fought on the same side. Though Russia started off as an Axis power, by the middle of the war they were in alliance with England and America. Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin made up the ‘Big Three'. When these political superpowers agree to meet, it's the perfect opportunity for the enemy to come up with an assassination scheme.

The book discusses a basic timeline of the war where Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin are concerned. Intertwined are bits on the Axis side from spies to soldiers both on the battlefield and in occupied cities. The main focus is on the rapport between the ‘Big Three' Allied leaders as they correspond, eventually leading up to an agreement to meet in Tehran, Iran.

Naturally, having three of the most powerful men in the world together in one room comes with great risks. One lapse in security measures could lead to disaster. For Roosevelt in particular, getting to Tehran wasn't a simple matter of hopping on a plane. The journey across the Atlantic alone could prove fatal.

Though well-researched, a lot of this book appears to be speculation. The potential for an assassination attempt was there and undoubtedly rumors went along with it, but whether or not any plans were set in motion or thwarted seems murky. Regardless, there are a lot of interesting tidbits to be learned. I haven't seen too many books on this subject.

My biggest quip is really a minor one, which is that I felt two main subjects of the book could have flowed together more smoothly. With a somewhat dramatized narrative, there are a lot of cliffhangers. When going back and forth between two settings, I personally lost some of the impact getting absorbed in another plot.

Lastly, the narrator of the audiobook, Scott Brick, does a wonderful job. So many nonfiction audiobooks are read in a monotone. I appreciated the engaging tone of the narration without it becoming theatrical.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a free audiobook ARC to listen to and review.

Spy novels are hit or miss for me — this one was a hit. This era is full of intrigue and deception on a global scale and made for a perfect setting. I can't comment on how realistic I think the scenario is as I only have a basic knowledge of this time, but it was enjoyable regarding plot and mystery. I liked Anne's character as well as Cooper's. With lots of twists, this book is a page-turner.

As a writer, I'm always happy to come across good writing advice. The Linchpin Writer happened to be terrific writing advice that made me want to drop everything and throw open my notebook. 

It's been my experience that creative writing teachers/mentors/blogs like to keep an upper hand. Somewhere down the line, they begin preaching that their way is the best way — if not the only way. John Fox's exercises were a sigh of relief. He knows there isn't one way to write that's going to fit every book and every author. Each chapter ends with a series of prompts (keep a pen handy!) that force you to think outside of the box. Speaking as someone who gets hung up on the ‘rights' and ‘wrongs' of writing and having a set way of doing things, it was nice to have a push outside of my limited mindset. Though I didn't have the time to do every lesson at the time of reading this, I am excited to go back and give my undivided attention to the exercises. It's been a while since I've had such a burst of motivation.

Part memoir and part handbook, there is a lot to discover about the writing industry and the craft in under 200 pages. The writing itself, no surprise, was charming and encouraging. I'm looking forward to exploring the author's blog and other books. 

A huge thanks to the author and his team for sending me a free ARC to read and review!

With some fairytales, history, dolls, and mystery, this book has a little bit of everything. Mixed together with beautiful writing, The Last Russian Doll is a lovely read.

Rosie's mother dies, leaving her behind with questions she needs to answer to put her turbulent past to rest. Spanning from the 1910s-1990s, we follow the story of Tonya and her lineage as well as the connections to the dolls that ended up in Rosie's mother's possession. 

The several points of view threw me off at first. I would have preferred just Rosie's and Tonya's as both of their stories were incredibly intriguing. However, there was a benefit of the other perspectives as the book went on. There's a lot of action which kept the book exciting (which admittedly made it somewhat tricky to keep everything straight). I enjoyed it.

I put off reading the final installment for a while but it hit me hard all the same. A beautiful conclusion and shockingly dark and prophetic. Naturally, I now want to go back and read it all again. I love the connections to Narnia and the real world, making it feel like the actual place where we'll all meet in the end.

Mose is an engineer recruited by the FBI after the collapse of a dam that killed thousands. Was it a natural disaster? Or was it an attack?

Aside from being an engineer turned agent, Mose is a family man who first and foremost wants to keep his family safe. Michael Stewart creates a realistic protagonist who isn't ‘too good to be for real' like many stories in this genre. He's a regular person who excels in his field. He has a relatable home and social life, making it easy to connect with him. 

The plot was well-executed and gripping. There were a few slower spots, however, it all came together in the end. It's a thought-provoking story as well with the ‘Little 9/11' disaster involved. Many of us learned through terrible experiences how a seemingly innocent object can be used for evil. As I read, I started thinking about what else might be a disaster waiting to happen.

Lastly, I want to applaud the book's religious undercurrent. Biblical themes worked their way into the story either through the characters' beliefs (or lack thereof) or the plot itself. Without giving too much away, an experience Mose has toward the end after hearing a sermon was particularly clever.

The author's note mentions a second book in the works. I'm excited to continue!

A huge thanks to the author for providing me with a free digital copy of the book to read and review!

I started reading this back in 2017 and I've only now picked it up again. I've read quite a few of Daphne Du Maurier's works and I found this book to have the most unsettling tone of all of them all (a reason I initially put it down). The story was fantastic and gritty as always, but I had trouble getting into this one as I have with the others. I don't know if the large reading gap contributed or not. I'm curious to watch one of the many screen adaptations of this to see if it influences my lasting opinion. 

Disturbing but interesting. The pacing of both of the stories was good, though I found one more intriguing than the other. I admit it was predictable, at least in Lizzy's case, while Ernie's had twists but were strange and didn't really add up. Nonetheless, I was engrossed.

This was such a cute Valentine's Day buddy read! It wasn't on my radar and it's always fun to find something new.

Matchmaker Cassandra Reynolds finds herself in need of a match of her own so she has a plus one to her estranged father's wedding. Enter Luke Dawson, who takes it upon himself to do the matchmaking. With a great mix of romance and family drama, there's never a dull moment.

I'm picky with romance. It's definitely a mood thing for me. I'm glad I gave this one a try because I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected not being in the zone for this genre at the moment. I'm glad that this is a series for when I am looking for a romance read sometime in the future. The writing style, especially with an overuse of euphemisms and cliches, wasn't my favorite, but the plot made up for a lot of it.