The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

My rating: 3.6 of 5 stars

 A wife who's husband has gone off to war and is left in their home on Guernsey Island to take care of their two daughters and his mother-in-law while the Germans occupy the Island. So many beautiful descriptions that make you feel the conflicting emotions and what it would have been like to have lived in that time.

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The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This novel was better than I anticipated. The ending was very disappointing (Dracula kidnaps someone to catalog his library - really??) The history was fascinating but, this book still dragged at many points. All of this being true, it still was an entertaining read in a DaVinci Code type of way.

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Border Songs by Jim Lynch
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed “The Highest Tide”. I wanted to like Border Songs. It has the same quirky character with similar idiosyncrasies. I loved the setting of my old stomping grounds of the border towns of Lynden, Blaine, White Rock and Abbotsford. Still, something missed the mark where the wry humor and the dysfunction were just a bit too ‘off’. The character development felt more like tangents that didn’t go anywhere. Instead of this book, I would recommend The Highest Tide.

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My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is going to be my pick for my next bookclub month. A mix of the horrid autrocities of the Japanese on the Filipino people in WWII, and the wonderful magical tales of the Philippines - all told with such beautiful eloquence.


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Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is divided into two halves. The first half appears to be separate stories that capture the horrid conditions of living during Stalin's Soviet Union. When being accused meant guilt which meant death. There was never anyone accused who was innocent. Even the children understood the fear and jeopardy you could put everyone you knew and loved in by doing the slightest, inadvertent thing to show you were a traitor. I loved the first half of the book and it continually made me count my blessings. Then the book changed in the second half to be about a serial child murderer. Smith's writing continued to be compelling and all of the previous "separate" stories started to intertwine and a few other unexpected details suddenly surfaced to make this a very fascinating gripping mystery book. That being said, mysteries are not my cup of tea so I am only giving this 3 stars. If you like mysteries, this is an excellent book that you should read.

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Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was fluffy but, still kept my interest. It is about 3 girls - Letty, Cordelia and Astrid - in 1920's NY. All 3 girls are annoying but, have redeeming traits that are enough to keep it going to the end of the storyline.

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Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just ok.

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The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not as good as the first two but still enjoyable.

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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A simple but powerful little story

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My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Bernard Cornwell is an amazing author. I wish he had been my history teacher as he makes history fascinating......even if he does too eloquent a job in capturing the gory details. I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series.

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This fun witty book was a delight to read. Anna is being shipped off from her home in Atlanta to go to a private school in Paris. She doesn't want to leave her friends and can't understand why she has to go anywhere....let alone to a school where she doesn't speak the language. I adored this book. The characters were amazingly well developed, genuine and real. The dialogue felt natural and frequently made me laugh out loud.

Anna and the French Kiss is probably one of the most fun books I have read this year. Sometimes you need something light and flirty to read. This book definitely fits the bill.

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Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this 2nd book in the series and will definitely be reading the future books as well. Wasn't surprised to discover that this series is being made in to a movie with the first one set to release in 2012. Not sure if they will be able to do it justice.

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Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a wonderful book with so much depth. I don't know why I had the preconceived notion this was a light book. It starts off with the 2 sisters very spoiled and enjoying life but, quickly shifts from there, not only to the stark realities of having to pay for their father's debt with going into pre-arranged marriages but, the war, communism and so many other facets of their lives. Excellent writing and I will be reading the sequel.

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An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While this was still witty and captured John Green's wonderful style, I definitely enjoyed LOOKING FOR ALASKA better. Still, a fun read.

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In The Woods by Tana French

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I don't normally like mysteries but, thought this was excellent - both the plot and the writing. It was excellent character development and I will definitely check out the other books in this series.