Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

My Rating: 4.9

England, 1580: The Black Death creeps across the land, an ever-present threat, infecting the healthy, the sick, the old and the young alike. The end of days is near, but life always goes on. A young Latin tutor—penniless and bullied by a violent father—falls in love with an extraordinary, eccentric young woman. Agnes is a wild creature who walks her family’s land with a falcon on her glove and is known throughout the countryside for her unusual gifts as a healer, understanding plants and potions better than she does people. Once she settles with her husband on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, she becomes a fiercely protective mother and a steadfast, centrifugal force in the life of her young husband, whose career on the London stage is just taking off when his beloved young son succumbs to sudden fever.

I thought I loved plot driven books but again, O'Farrell is pulling me in with another character driven book that I couldn't put down. The writing was so vivid that I literally had dreams about this book. It pulled me  in and made me want more. The scenes of grief shredded me. The writing was gorgeous and brought the characters, particularly Agnes, to life. It made me feel like I was walking through 1580 England. I loved that they never named Shakespeare but referred to him as Agnes' husband or the children's father. Knowing this piece of Shakespeare's history has me rethinking many of Shakespeare's plays and their inspiration. I loved the Marriage Portrait and I think that O'Farrell hit it out of the park again. I absolutely love her writing style.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

 My Rating: 4.9

Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia is the third daughter of the grand duke. She is comfortable with her obscure place amongst her siblings in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf. 

Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her new husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble? As Lucrezia sits in constricting finery for a painting intended to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court’s eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferranese dynasty. .

The book opens with Lucrezia fearing for her life and then flashes back to how she came to be married to the Duke and so far from her family. This is a retelling of Lucrezia de Medici who had to marry her sister's fiance, had a short marriage before dying of TB but there were speculations that she had been poisoned by her husband. I love how it captures Renaissance Italy and the writing was full of beauty and emotion. This completely captured me and I will definitely be reading more of O'Farrell's books.

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

 My Rating: 4.9

Woodrow Nickel is 105 years old and flashing back to when he was young. It was 1938 in the Great Depression. Woody finds himself driving two giraffes across country from New York to the San Diego zoo.  Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. 

This was a beautiful book. It is part adventure, historical sage, coming of age, love story and most of all, about people and animals. An absolutely delightful read. 

Control Girl by Shannon Popkin

My Rating: 5.0

"Control Girl" is a penetrating look at how selfishness and self-protectiveness wreck lives--and why surrender and trust are God's life-giving pathways to true freedom and joy."

This book was so good. It takes 7 different women from the Bible and shows how they were controlling (or in some cases, being controlled). Shannon also inserts a lot of personal antidotes that were so helpful. It was uncomfortable to realize how we are all living out Eve's curse but, the awareness was so beneficial. EXCELLENT book that everyone in my Christian women's book club raved about.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki

 My Rating: 4.9

This book starts with Marjorie Post's father very ill and seeking treatment. The treatment center feeds him vegetables and he proceeds to deteriorate but, at the home near the center where his wife and daughter Marjorie are staying, the hostess believes in good old fashioned American cooking. Soon, C.W. Post starts to heal and understands the power of food. He also sees how much time women spend in the kitchen and decides to invent a convenience food for breakfast - which was the beginning of Post Cereal Company.

Marjorie's live definitely feels like many "lives" or chapters and they are all equally fascinating! I learned so much about her including that she built Mara-Lago. Allison Pataki unfolds Marjorie's life so beautifully that I couldn't wait to listen to more. This book was thoroughly delightful and got me to buy a box of grapenuts! I will definitely be reading more by this author.

The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Sogavia

 My Rating: 5.0

Old Nana Reja finds a baby abandoned under a bridge and the life of a small Mexican town changes forever. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him as if he were their own. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can—visions of all that’s yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous. Followed by his protective swarm of bees and living to deliver his adoptive family from threats—both human and those of nature—Simonopio’s purpose in Linares will, in time, be divined. Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the devastating influenza of 1918, The Murmur of Bees captures both the fate of a country in flux and the destiny of one family that has put their love, faith, and future in the unbelievable.   

I can't properly describe this book to do it justice. Translated from Spanish, it is so beautiful. All of the characters come to life as does the Mexican Revlution, the horror of the Spanish flu and dealing with the farm and raising children. Such a beautiful book and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 My Rating: 4.9

Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular on the tennis circuit. By the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two. But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.

I am not a sports fan never mind tennis and yet this book captured me. I couldn't wait to get back to it. I loved following her whole journey but particularly her come-back when is 37 years old. Her reluctance to train with Bowe, who is also trying to make his come-back, and the unfolding of their relationship endeared me. I also had a secret crush on Carrie's father, Javier. Every story that that TJR writes is different with the commonality of them all being fabulously entertaining. I can't wait for her next book!

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

My Rating: 4.9

1940's England and three different women feel compelled to help England fight the war against the Nazis.  Debutante Osla who is dating Prince Philip of Greece, self-made Mab who is determined to pull herself out of East End London poverty and Beth who is painfully shy but has a brain meant to work on puzzles. They all end up at Bletchley park where the best minds are gathered to try to decode the enemy's secrets. 

1947 these three once inseparable friends are now enemies. Prince Philip is going to wed Princess Elizabeth, the girls have gone their separate ways with children, a fiancée and one is in an asylum. They are forced to reunite to figure out who was the traitor in their midst.

Quinn brings everything to life - the code breaking techniques, the war, Prince Philip and most of all the three different girls. This was excellent. Quinn never disappoints and I will be reading more of hers.