The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

 

My Rating: 4.5

1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own. But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

I read this book club and everyone enjoyed it. The children getting sent off to the country is so sad but I loved that Hazel and Flora ended up in a wonderful family with Bridie and Harry, Hazel never gives up on Flora and the guilt she feels is so sad. An enjoyable read that felt 'light' despite the topic.

Babel by R.F. Kuang

 

My Rating: 4.0

Orphaned by cholera in Canton, Robin is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire's quest for colonization. s his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . . . Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

I am so torn over how to rate this. On one hand, the author is BRILLIANT! Unique and creative story lines with wonderful writing. On the otherhand, I felt that this was redundant, preaching and strident in some of the point. It was also VERY dry in that a large portion of this book was told through lectures. I absolutely loved The Poppy Wars and will be reading more in that series but felt that was maybe too ambitious in what Kuang was trying to convey.

Sunday's Child: Book I in the Pea Island Gold Trilogy by Tom Lewis

My Rating: 4.4

On North Carolina's stormy Outer Banks. Sunday is raised on the Pea Island Life-Saving Station by the influence of the Station's heroic all-black crewmen. Under their loving protection, she blossoms into a strong and beautiful young woman with a spirit to match. But Sunday's secluded paradise cannot last. Her calm, simple days by the sea must inevitably give way to the fast-approaching storms of life. Unexpectedly, those darkening skies bring with them an unlikely mix of forbidden love, murder, and revenge along with a Nazi submarine carrying millions of dollars in gold stolen from Hitler's Third Reich. First in a trilogy, Sunday's Child begins the saga of three unique families from across the world, flung fatally together by three of mankind s most basic traits: war, love, and greed.

I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book with it's well developed characters and interesting story-line. As other reviewers have mentioned, the last 1/4 felt so far fetched and written with an forced sequel in mind that it was very off putting. As much as I enjoyed this book, I won't be reading any more from this series.

The Guest by Emma Cline

 

My Rating: 3.0

Alex is a very calculating young girl. She is at a dinner party with an older man she has been involved with and makes a mis-calculation - ending her being welcome at his home or on Long Island. When he has her taken to the train to send her back to the city, she decides to stay and meander from one bad decision to another.

This is a difficult book for me to review. On one hand Alex is such a mess and makes such horrible decisions that this was a very uncomfortable read. On the othe rhand, Cline's writing is so beautiful that I couldn't stop reading this. I will try other books by her and hope that the characters aren't such train wrecks.

A Beautiful Rival

 

My Rating: 4.8

Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein and their infamous rivalry that spanned not only decades, but also broken marriages, personal tragedies, and a world that was changing dramatically for women

I really enjoyed this historical fiction and learning more about both Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein - individually as well as their rivalry. They both were amazing women who had incredible lives. Their rivalry was interesting but, it was sad how rather than simply having a good competition it showed their insecurity (especially Elizabeth Arden). A very enjoyable read that I would recommend.