The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee

My rating: 4.0

This is more the story of three women, Margaret, Hillary and Mercy, who happen to be living in Hong Kong. Once I adjusted my expectations to understand that, I quite enjoyed this book. It also happens to capture what it is like to be an Expat living in Hong Kong. 

Each of the three characters has a life altering event happen and Lee handles the bigger impacts and how it changed each of them very well.. I found this to be an entertaining read.

Bookmarks Magazine May/June

After a very long day at work, I had already decided I was going to indulge in an out of the ordinary weeknight glass of wine.  Imagine my delight when I found my latest Bookmarks Magazine in my mailbox. After curling up enjoying my wine and the bookmarks together (perfect pairing!) here are the reads that are jumping out at me that I have put the the ebook version on hold at my library.  

What a great edition!  Let me know what books are on your radar as my queue always has room for more.

      

Front Lines by Michael Grant

My rating: 4.8

This book is set in WWII with women subject to the draft and eligible for service alongside men. This is being compared to Code Name Verity which I ranked in my 2013 Best Of.

This is the story of 3 girls; Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman.  The first half of the book takes place in each of the girls home town to help you get to know them. It felt quaint which, I imagine things were in most places in the 1940's.

Then the girls go off to basic training and various points, their paths cross. From this point on, the book had me riveted. You saw and felt how war was and, how it changed each of the girls. You also understand why anyone who has been to war never talks about it. I thought this was an excellent book with an interesting premise that I would definitely recommend.
  

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

My rating: 2.0

Don't hate me but, I have realized that I am just not an Elizabeth Strout fan. Her writing is sound but it is the depressing characters and story lines that don't go anywhere. This is the third book of hers I have read and I find them all too dysfunctional with unappealing characters and this one is no different.

This is the story of Lucy's mother, who she hasn't spoken to in years, coming to visit her in the hospital while she is recovering from surgery. They mainly gossip about people from the past but Lucy also remembers some things from her childhood and the tension in their relationship is always there right below what isn't said.  I found this very melancholy and just not my cup of tea.