Monthly Book Review: May 2019

Only one book read last month but it was worth three. The Huntress by Kate Quinn tells the stories of three disparate characters post WWII on a Nazi hunt. Nina is a Russian pilot with dreams of more than the motherland can provide and a killer survival instinct. Ian is a British veteran hell-bent on vengeance for his younger brother and a deep love for independent women. And Jordan is a young woman with dreams and a keen sixth sense. All three lives have been forever changed by an Austrian woman with many names - Lorelei, Annalise, Anna, the huntress. This was long but necessary for character development - I was deeply invested. Justice is a deep-seated need no matter how much time has past or who gets in the way.

Next up:
In Pieces by Sally Field

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Summer Reading Guide 2019

https://modernmrsdarcy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Summer-Reading-Guide-2019.pdf

Monthly Book Review: April 2019

I'm moving into a new-to-us house with my fiance in a few weeks so my mind has been preoccupied with lighting fixtures, the virtues of wood plank vs. bamboo flooring, kitchen appliances and cabinet knobs. See how I dropped fiance in there?! Yep, I'm getting remarried. In a little less than five months so there's that to think about too.

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton - this chronicles the inhabitants of Birchwood Manor over 155 years, weaving the stories of 1862 artist muse Lily Millington/Birdie, Ada, Juliet and her children following WWII, and modern day Elodie. The common themes are art, love, loss and secrets. A LOT of secrets ... priest holes, the Radcliffe Blue, murder. The switching back and forth between characters was a bit clunky and I grew annoyed that Lily could never just be called Lily, rather always by her full name (those extra three syllables grated on me). The murder was never solved, but for some reason that didn't bother me as I was keen to find out where the story would go next. I give it a solid B. 

These is My Words by John Driver - this gets great reviews, but the narrator sounded like an auto bot so I returned it and have already started The Huntress.

Next up:

The Huntress by Kate Quinn
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Monthly Book Review: March 2019

The Forgotten Room by Beatriz Williams, Karen White, Lauren Willig - LOVED this! Three generations of women living/working in the same historic NYC home from the late 19th century through 1945 deal with ill-fated love. Each of the three authors tell one woman’s story so the characters are distinct, yet common threads weave perfectly together. I may not agree with all of their choices, but I can definitely picture a bit of myself in Olive, Lucy and Kate. 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - this book is all the rage and now I know why. My mother said it has “rich prose” and she was right. The story of Kya the marsh girl is beautiful and sad at the same time. Abandoned and ridiculed, Kya creates a full life out of small and simple things in the marsh on the fringe of a small North Carolinian town that most of us would take for granted. When the town’s golden boy is murdered, it seems the whole town is on trial. 

Next up:

These is My Words by John Driver

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

Monthly Book Review: February 2019

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James - There's nothing romantic about Vermont's school for wayward girls, Idlewild Hall. This story weaves a small town's secrets, two murders and a hint of WWII into a great mystery.

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan - I loved this chick lit recommended by one of my favorite bloggers as one of her best reads of 2018. Ella from Ohio is at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship which has been her life's plan for years. Ella seems to have everything together until a chance meeting at a chip shop changes her life. 

Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey - A novella written in 1932 about Dolly Thatcham's wedding day and the choice of marrying for love vs. security.

Next up:

The Forgotten Room by Beatriz Williams, Karen White, Lauren Willig

These is My Words by John Driver

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

Monthly Book Review: January 2019

Sunburn by Laura Lippman - I read this while in Mexico and it was the perfect beach read. The opening lines pulled me in and I was hooked on all the twists and turns. Polly/Pauline is playing a game ... is it a long game or a short one? Is she villain, victim, or both? The best part? It was good all the way to the end!

The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story by Hyeonseo Lee, David Johng - Soooooo good! True story of a young girl’s journey to freedom. I was shocked to learn of the insidious abuse North Korean’s deal with in everyday life (e.g. monthly compulsory criticism sessions at school and work).

Next up:
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

We’ll be going back to Mexico yet this year so I also added “Learn Spanish” audiobook to my queue. Excited to see how that works. 

Monthly Book Review: December 2018

I absolutely loved Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (who also wrote my favorite book of 2017, A Gentleman in Moscow). The writing is wonderful with rich character development and the audio version is expertly read. Set mostly in 1938, the novel follows Kate (Katey, Katia) Kontent through a year of defining relationships and painful self awareness. Part of growing up is finding out that doing the right thing isn't always easy and it's more difficult for some than others; our expectations and judgments will never be fully met. Another is learning that what we do has far-reaching consequences.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty - This felt like a modern grown-up version of The Breakfast Club. Nine strangers arrive at an Australian health resort with a variety of issues they hope to resolve and leave with a lot more than they bargained for.

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor, Heather Webb - similar style to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in that the story is told through exchanged letters between Evelyn Elliott, her brother Will, her friend Alice and Will's best friend Thomas Harding from 1914 to 1918 (WWI). Beautifully written and satisfying end.

I read 25 books this year. In addition to Rules of Civility, these knocked my socks off in 2018:

• Small Great Things (Feb)
• Broken Angels (Mar)
• City of Thieves (May)
• As Bright As Heaven (Aug)