A Light Beyond The Trenches by Alan Hlad

 My Rating: 5.0

In WWI, four very different lives intertwine across Europe from Germany to France—Anna is a German Red Cross nurse, her fiance Bruno is a soldier tortured by deadly secrets of his own, and his tormented French mistress. and Max is Jewish pianist blinded on the battlefield, 

Hlad is a very gifted writer who captures every character so well - including Max's guide dog Nia and Anna's father Norbie. From the overrun hospitals to having to scrounge for turnips and leeks for their meals, you feel like you are right there in the cold of Germany. I couldn't wait to get back to this book. I think I may have enjoyed this even more than The Long Flight Home - although they were both amazing. I can't wait to read more by this author.

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

 My Rating: 4.8

In the Appalachian Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett knows how hard life can be. Honey's mother is one of the famed blue-skinned people and she was also one of the pioneering pack horse librarians. Honey is following in her mother's footsteps but, also has to raise herself as trouble has caught up with her parents. While Honey is trying to be independent and help other folks, she also find so many are there to help her.

I loved the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek so I was excited to read this sequel and it didn't disappoint. A wholesome sweet tale of Honey and various other folks in the backwoods of Kentucky trying to survive the environment and man. Thoroughly delightful!

Robin by Dave Itzkoff

 My Rating: 4.9

From high school through his life, Robin had a special gift but, that also came with a lot of challenges. His rapid-fire stand-up comedy was so unique but it took a while to find a movie role where he could use his talents on screen. 

This walks through all of Robin's life - both personally and professionally. Very well done and I definitely recommend the audiobook read by Fred Berman. He captures all of the voices so well.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

 My Rating: 4.9

In 1961, Frank Drumm was thirteen years old Several people died that summer in his small town of New Bremen, Minnesota. Frank shares a bedroom with his eleven year old brother Jake who stutters with everyone but Frank. His mother Ruth did not expect that his father Nathan would end up being a minister and this has cast her into a role she didn't want. Frank finds himself unexpectedly thrown into the adult world of secrets, lies, adultery and betrayal that calls for so upon much maturity from the young boy. Such an incredible coming of age story that also captures the innocence of that by-gone era.  "This story is about the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God."

Wow. Krueger has an amazing gift of making you feel that you know each and every character. I couldn't wait to get back to this book and was immersed in the sweet unfolding of the 1960's, Frank and Jake's relationship, Frank being thrust into an adult world and so many other details. I can't wait to read more by Krueger.

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Graynor

 My Rating: 3.9

1838 Grace Darling and her father rescue shipwreck survivors and bring them back to their Lighthouse. The press descends on her and elevates her role in the rescue to being heroic. 

While this was interesting to learn about Grace Darling and some of the historical fiction, it wasn't a must read for me. The story was quaint but nothing that I felt was deserving of a book.

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

 My Rating: 4.0

Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold. Now, 11 years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find....

While Kubica tells a good story, I felt that she was trying too hard to divert the reader. There were too many characters, too much implausibility and too many red herrings. It wasn't bad but, just ended up being a 'typical thriller' without anything special to make it stand out. I did enjoy it on the audio book to hear each of the characters different voice.