The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

My Rating: 4.9

1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams for a friend to alleviate her isolation. Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions of becoming “lion women.” But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

This was a wonderful book covering not only the girls' friendship but the Shah's reign and the politics and impact to the Iranians but particularly women. This was very reminiscent of The Kite Runner which is one of my all-time favorite books.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

My Rating: 5.0

Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of Hitler's concentration camps, and one of the most remarkable evangelists of the twentieth century. In World War II she and her family risked their lives to help Jews and underground workers escape from the Nazis, and for their work they were tested in the infamous Nazi death camps. Only Corrie among her family survived to tell the story of how faith ultimately triumphs over evil.

Oh to have faith like Corrie and her family. I think this should be a mandatory read for everyone - so we don't repeat history and so we know what it is like to stand up when there is injustice and wrong. The Ten Boom family unapologetically protected the Jews and didn't try to avoid the consequences of their actions. Wow.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

My Rating: 4.9

In 1976 California, Dana is suddenly dizzy and then is dragged through time to antebellum Maryland to rescue a boy named Rufus, heir to a slaveowner’s plantation. When her returns to her apartment and her husband, she has only been gone minutes vs the hours she was back in time. She soon realizes the purpose of her summons to the past: protect Rufus to ensure his assault of her Black ancestor so that she may one day be born. As she endures the traumas of slavery and the soul-crushing normalization of savagery, Dana fights to keep her autonomy and return to the present. Dana not only experiences the cruelties of slavery on her skin but also grimly learns to accept it as a condition of her own existence in the present.

I don't know how I seem to be the last person to read this book but I absolutely LOVED it! I am glad I never heard about it with all the hype so I didn't go in to it with any expectations and just went with the storyline - which was enthralling. 

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

My Rating: 4.9

15th century China and Tan Yunxian is being raised by her grandparents. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient. From a young age, Yunxian learns about women’s illnesses, many of which relate to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. The two girls find fast friendship and a mutual purpose—despite the prohibition that a doctor should never touch blood while a midwife comes in frequent contact with it—and they vow to be forever friends, sharing in each other’s joys and struggles. 

When Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling and from helping the women and girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, recite poetry, give birth to sons, and stay forever within the walls of the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights.

This book spans many decades and See's research shows in capturing the Chinese culture, foot binding and so many expectations of women. This is a beautiful quiet book with many complex characters. Don't rush the reading but savor and enjoy. Beautiful.

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

My Rating: 4.9

Intense, powerful, and compelling, Matterhorn is an epic war novel. Written by a highly decorated Marine veteran over the course of thirty years, Matterhorn is a spellbinding and unforgettable novel that brings to life an entire world—both its horrors and its thrills—and seems destined to become a classic of combat literature.

We listened to this together in the car. I am constantly amazed at what our young men go through to defend our country but, this had me astounded at the stupidity of the politics of the generals, the racial divide and other internal strife within their unit. My heart broke for so many unnecessary tragedies. This was a very graphic novel and yet, at times, it also had us laughing. Amazing author that brought the war to life. 

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

My Rating: 4.9

1789 Maine: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It transported me back in time to this small town in Maine. I got immersed not only in the rape trial, the question of the drowning but also in Martha's life. Her diary entries made the weather, her work and her family come alive.  The writing was beautiful and I will definitely read more by this author.

Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah

 

My Rating: 4.9

Joanna returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her. She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises. 

The girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. With concerns about the child’s home situation, Jo reluctantly agrees to let her stay—just until she learns more about Ursa’s past. Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the mystery of the charming child. But the more time they spend together, the more questions they have. How does a young girl not only read but understand Shakespeare? Why do good things keep happening in her presence? And why aren’t Jo and Gabe checking the missing children’s website anymore?

I absolutely LOVED everything about this book - the writing, the characters and the story line. The perfect trifecta! I love that there was still a bit of an unanswered question at the end. If all of her writing is this gorgeous then I have no idea how I haven't heard of this author sooner. I will definitely be reading more by her.

My Time With God by Joyce Meyer

 

My Rating: 4.9

Each daily entry guides readers through a narrative of meditations, an uplifting declaration, and relevant scripture to encourage greater intimacy with God. Including spiritual revelations experienced by Joyce. Each chapter is only a couple of pages so easy to fit in to my morning and I carry the thoughts through out the day. I also love how Joyce includes a scripture at the beginning pertaining to the thought for the day and uses it in ways I would never have gotten out of the scripture. Highly recommend!

The Poppy War #1 by R.F. Kuang

My Rating: 4.9

Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising. But surprises aren’t always good. 

This reminded me of a cross between Harry Potter and Hunger Games but, with a whole unique twist. Kuang continues to amaze me with her creativity and unique plot lines. I felt for many of the characters and fell into the plotline. Kuang has an amazing ability to create a completely unique plotline yet leaving the reader feel like it is familiar and relatable. I can't wait to read the next novel in this series.

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