The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer

My Rating: 4.8

1930's Berlin: Although Sofie and her husband Jürgen do not agree with Hitler's views, they benefit which they struggle with.  

1950's America: Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program.

This book had so much to it. I loved the Berlin story line and I enjoyed learning about how America offered pardons to Germans where we could benefit from their knowledge. It shows that no one is blameless and you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. I felt that Lizzie's story could have been condensed and Lizzie's brother should have been edited out completely and kept the focus more on Sofie and Jürgen. This is my second book by Rimmer and it won't be my last.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

My Rating: 4.8

Isobel is a young seamstress who sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. Edward is an apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Edinburgh for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they've arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic––leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible.

This book unfolded in a beautiful way - between Isobel's gorgeous needlework, her ability to see in colors, and her relationships with the other townsfolk. It was only once I was quite far in to this book that I realized with it's flashbacks to the Salem witch trials and Nathaniel Hawthorne that I realized it was a retelling of The Scarlett Letter which I haven't read...yet. It is now on my TBR list. 

Foster by Claire Keegan

 My Rating: 4.8

It is a hot summer in rural Ireland. A child is taken by her father to live with relatives on a farm, not knowing when or if she will be brought home again. In the Kinsellas’ house, she finds an affection and warmth she has not known and slowly, in their care, begins to blossom. But there is something unspoken in this new household—where everything is so well tended to—and this summer must soon come to an end.

This is a quiet little book that captures so much. I can see why this was a winner of the Davy Byrnes Award. I have another book by Keegan on my kindle that I will prioritize as she has such beautiful writing.

Faith Still Moves Mountains by Harris Faulkner

 My Rating:  3.3

These are stories to remind us that God’s light always shines through the darkness. Through these testimonies, we learn prayer isn’t just a ritual, it’s a vital spiritual strategy in a world that wants us to give up the fight. 

This was a pick for my Christian Women's Book Club. This was various "inspirational" stories. Several of these were so depressing it was hard to find the motivation in them. Others were uplifting but, not really miracles and they also rambled on. I listened to the audio book and double timed most of the stories to get through them. I was surprised at the high ratings on Amazon and Goodreads as that didn't match my experience with this book.

Red Notice by Bill Browder

 My Rating: 4.8

This is a story about an accidental activist. Bill Browder started out his adult life as the Wall Street maverick whose instincts led him to Russia just after the breakup of the Soviet Union, where he made his fortune. Along the way he exposed corruption, and when he did, he barely escaped with his life.

A book about a financial investor in Russia doesn't sound very interesting. This book came highly recommended from a trusted girlfriend and I am so glad I listened to her. We listened to this book on audio and we both enjoyed it. The corruption in Russia boggles the mind and how Bill Browder was able to do what he did is astounding. An incredible story. Highly recommend on audio.

Fasting & Feasting by Erin Davis

 My Rating: 4.9

In this 40-day devotional filled with heartfelt reflections on key passages of Scripture (and a few inspirational stories thrown in for good measure!), you’ll learn just how satisfying it is to join in the biblical rhythms of fasting and feasting.

When this book was selected for my women's book club, I admit it....I was nervous. The mere idea of fasting made me uncomfortable .... and hungry. Erin's book was so easy to read, non-judgmental and has some great stories. As I read further, it made me understand fasting, the need for it and the power and it made me want to explore it. I can truly say that this is a book that has changed my life as, I now incorporate Spiritual Fasting into my life on a regular basis and enjoy it so much. Thank you Erin!

Liar's Bench by Kim Michele Richardson

 My Rating: 3.8

In 1972, Mudas finds her mother hanging from the rafters. The police are quick to say it was suicide but Mudas can't believe her beloved mother would every kill herself. She starts to dig to find out what really happened.

This was enjoyable but not amazing. It had beautiful writing but, the storyline felt forced and didn't grab me. I loved both of the Troublesome Creek novels and really enjoyed GodPretty In The Tobacco Field but, for me, this one fell short. I will still continue to explore other books by this author.

What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross

 My Rating: 4.7

Lucy seems like an ordinary woman but, on a spur of a moment decision, she picks up a baby from an Ikea shopping cart and walks out of the store. She raises the baby as her own and keeps the kidnapping a secret for over two decades. Her now grown daughter, Mia, discovers the trust of her origins, and then all of the fall-out has to be dealt with.

This was such a gripping emotional tale. You are pulled in to all three perspectives of Lucy, Mia and Marilyn (the birth mother). This was heart wrenching and you felt pulled in three different directions. Sad  and moving story but told in such an amazing way. This is one that will stay with me.

Blood Hollow by William Kent Krueger (Cork O'Connor Series #4)

 My Rating: 4.6

When the body of a beautiful high school student is discovered on a hillside four months after her disappearance on New Year’s Eve, all evidence points to her boyfriend, local bad boy Solemn Winter Moon. Despite Solemn’s self-incriminating decision to go into hiding, Cork O’Connor isn’t about to hang the crime on a kid he’s convinced is innocent. In an uphill battle to clear Solemn’s name, Cork encounters no shortage of adversity. Some—like bigotry and bureaucracy—he knows all too well. What Cork isn’t prepared for is the emergence of a long-held resentment from his own childhood. And when Solemn reappears, claiming to have seen a vision of Jesus Christ in Blood Hollow, the mystery becomes thornier than Cork could ever have anticipated. And that's when the miracles start happening.

I love WKK's writing and especially the character of Cork. He has such a good heart and, despite the grizzly crimes, he gives the books such a wholesome feel. Definitely will be reading the rest in this series.

Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

 My Rating: 4.7

In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kyiv, wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son—but Hitler’s invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper—a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour. Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC—until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila’s past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life. Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.

based on a true story of Russian Mila in WWII. She lives with her parents, has a son, a horrible ex-husband who won't divorce her and ends up going to war to serve her country and being a sharp shooter. Intermingled with her in Washington DC as an ambassador for Russia to get the U.S. to enter the war and she is befriended by Eleanor Roosevelt

All My Rage by Saba Tahir

My Rating: 4.7

Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged marriage. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds' Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start. Juniper, California. Now. Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding. Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever. When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.

This flashes between the parents in Pakistan (back then) and California with the kids (now). How we all have backstories that play in to who we are. Very well told and captures the cultures, grieving, alcoholism, love & family.

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!

When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash

 My Rating: 4.6

When a low flying plane awakens Sheriff Winston Barnes in the middle of the night, he knows something isn't right. He goes to the nearby airfield on the coast of North Carolina where the crashed plane has the body of a local man lying beside it. Everyone is a suspect, including the dead man.

Cash captures the Southern charm and tension of a small town along with the flaws of all the characters. This has the feel of classic murder/mystery genre. I really liked how Cash did the ending through the flash forward.

Things Our Fathers Saw by Matthew A. Rozell

 My Rating: 4.0

Various stories from WWII soliders. Some of the stories brought tears to my eyes. Their sacrifices make me so grateful. To spend years in as in POW camp with their inhumane treatment and to not give up hope - there are no words.

I docked a bit on the rating due to the audio version. It was very confusing to have the same narrator tell different men's stories. We both lost track at times of which story he was referring to. This might be better in print format. Other than that, it was very well done.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

 My Rating: 4.7

1939 Young Odile works at the American Library in Paris. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance and fights back in the way she knows, by sharing the books.

1983 Young Lily is a lonely teenager in a small town in Montana. When her life intertwines with her elderly mysterious neighbor Odile, Lily's life has purpose and new responsibility with a friend.

This quiet book was full of so much - a beautiful ode to Paris, the power of books, an inter-generational friendship and more.