The Girls in the Picture

By: Melanie Benjamin
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

Summary: An intimate portrait of the close friendship and powerful creative partnership between two of Hollywood’s earliest female superstars: Frances Marion and Mary Pickford. An enchanting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and The Aviator’s Wife.

Hollywood, 1914. Frances Marion, a young writer desperate for a break, meets “America’s Sweetheart,” Mary Pickford, already making a name for herself both on and off the screen with her golden curls and lively spirit. Together, these two women will take the movie business by storm.

Mary Pickford becomes known as the “Queen of the Movies”—the first actor to have her name on a movie marquee, and the first to become a truly international celebrity. Mary and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, were America’s first Royal Couple, living in a home more famous that Buckingham Palace. Mary won the first Academy Award for Best Actress in a Talkie and was the first to put her hand and footprints in Grauman’s theater sidewalk. Her annual salary in 1919 was $625,000—at a time when women’s salaries peaked at $10 a week. Frances Marion is widely considered one of the most important female screenwriters of the 20th century, and was the first writer to win multiple Academy Awards. The close personal friendship between the two stars was closely linked to their professional collaboration and success.

My Thoughts:

This book came out at such an incredible time. It's a story of the power of women - as most books are by Benjamin. It demonstrates the power that women could claim for themselves, but also the imbalance of power that was/is prevalent within the industry.  I personally didn't know much about the beginnings of Hollywood and to see it here, through the eyes of some of the most influential women in the industry, delighted me. I had no idea the female collaboration behind the beginning of the movies. The friendship and power between Marion and Pickford was refreshing and enjoyable to read.

Benjamin poured herself into this book. She meticulously researched the topic and brought her usual depth to all characters involved. She created a world I didn't want to leave and this book was almost impossible to put down. 

This is a definite must-read for anyone who loves the movie business and seeing how it developed, from the evolution from flickers to talkies, to seeing the rise of some of the studios we know today. There were also appearances by the likes of Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplain. This was a novel steeped in detail that brought true color to the era of back and white movies.

I can't recommend this book enough. I've put it down to be read for book club and have told so many friends that if you could only read one historical novel from 2018 it really needs to be this one!

By the Book

By: Julia Sonneborn

Genre: ChickLit, Retellings, Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary:

An English professor struggling for tenure discovers that her ex-fiancé has just become the president of her college—and her new boss—in this whip-smart modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Persuasion.

Anne Corey is about to get schooled.

An English professor in California, she’s determined to score a position on the coveted tenure track at her college. All she’s got to do is get a book deal, snag a promotion, and boom! She’s in. But then Adam Martinez—her first love and ex-fiancé—shows up as the college’s new president.

Anne should be able to keep herself distracted. After all, she’s got a book to write, an aging father to take care of, and a new romance developing with the college’s insanely hot writer-in-residence. But no matter where she turns, there’s Adam, as smart and sexy as ever. As the school year advances and her long-buried feelings begin to resurface, Anne begins to wonder whether she just might get a second chance at love.

My Thoughts:

Persuasion by Jane Austen is my favorite of all of her books. (I know there aren't a lot, but the competition is steep) So I love to find re-tellings of that particular story. This one most definitely didn't disappoint. Located in the Ivory Towers of academia and with characters that lend themselves close to readers hearts I read this in one sitting. Should I have been doing other things such as laundry, homework and housework...yes, but as most readers understand, the book was just too good.

I loved Larry, Anne's dear friend who also was facing love troubles of their own. As I was reading all I could think of was Peter MacNicol from his time in numbers. The dedicated professor with a few little quirks. I'm not sure if that's who Sonneborn was thinking of when she wrote him, but I found him to be endearing - even with his clandestine affair.

I think this is a book that I will return to again. It's hard to bring Austin to the modern day without being overly sappy, and I think that this was one of those stories. It's a great feel good book - you know the end from the beginning (at least you do if you read the original story) and it carries a sweetness that was a perfect way to spend a Saturday.

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Keturah

Keturah
By: Lisa Tawn Bergren
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father's estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

Although it flies against all the conventions for women of the time, they're determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, proper gender roles are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined--and that's just the start of 
what their eyes are opened to in this unfamiliar world. 

Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives. 

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book well enough and read it in 3 sittings. I haven't been able to read a lot since starting my MBA program so it has been fun to get back to something that offered the familiarity found in the plot lines of Christian Historical Romance yet the difference of the time and place of 1700 Caribbean.  

Keturah is a woman who is battered from her abusive marriage with her now deceased husband (a question I have is how did he die? and did she maybe help with that? That would have been cool to explore.) I did appreciate her strength and ability to rise to the occasion when her sisters needed her to. While stilted at times, she felt like an independent woman who was intent on trying to fix her own problems rather than sit back and let others take over.  But at the same time she seemed to switch back and forth so quickly between being an independent woman who don't need no man to "oh my goodness he's so handsome!"  I felt like that made her more shallow that intended.

I also appreciated the bonds of sisterhood between Ket, Verity and Selah. They were the things that rang the most true to me throughout the novel.

Overall, while this was a fun beach side read, it felt shallow.  There were a lot of darker themes here that could have been explored. The ability to overcome abuse, the complexities of slavery in the 1770s and trying to reconcile with Christian beliefs, inherent sexism of the times. So many ways this could have gone deeper with an emotional payoff that almost was there but never seemed to come to fruition.

It was good enough for what it was, and if I see the sequels in the library I will probably snag them, but this wasn't something that was overly memorable for me.

The Draper's Daughter

By: Ellin Carsta

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary:

Cologne, 1351: Elisabeth and Stephen Hardenstein are twins, but they could not be more different. While Elisabeth is inspired by the family business, absorbing everything her father shows her about the cloth trade, Stephen enjoys a leisurely life and pays little attention to their father’s teachings. Elisabeth recognizes her true vocation as a tradeswoman, and though the odds are stacked against her, she pursues her passion.

When the twins’ father suffers a tragic stroke, the tables turn. Suddenly Stephen is interested in running the draper’s shop his father left behind, and he takes the lead in managing the family business. But Elisabeth can’t sit idly by and watch as he makes bad decisions and accumulates debts. Stephen pushes her to marry as soon as possible, even proposing a suitor, but Elisabeth has her own ideas about matters of the heart. Are her talents in the art of negotiation enough to win her both the job of her dreams and the man she truly loves?

My Thoughts:
I just finished this amazing novel and am on a total girl power high! This isn't the first German novel translated into English I have read, and each time I do it makes me want to learn to at least read the language even more. I love German novels and story telling.

Carsta does a great job of pulling me into 1300's Germany - the details of the terrible pogroms, the plague that still goes around, the medieval views of depression and women's place - they all combine to set the tone for Carsta's story in Cologne. Elizabeth is amazing. She is strong, she is kind, she tries over and over and keeps getting set back. (I feel sorry for my coworkers as they watch me read. They could tell there were times when I just wanted to yell at Elizabeth "Don't do the thing, that is a bad thing, don't do the thing!" But they are great sports and only teased me about it a little bit.) She deals with misogyny, with slut-shaming, with actual physical assault to her person, but she comes through. She comes through wiser for it. I want to be Elizabeth when I grow up.

Another point I loved - the interplay between Christian and Jew, especially in a business setting was great to see. We are in a world of rising tensions between any groups who are viewed as "other" and more often need to emphasize there is more that pulls us together than tears us apart. This was true between business women centuries ago and it is true between all of us today. Part of me wishes that more was spent in their relationship (and maybe there was in the German version...I really need to learn to read this language!) but I am content with the glimpse that we got.

The only bit that I wish was different **Spoilers, click and highlight between the asterisks to read** was that she ended up with her Notary at the end of the novel. Let her stick with her mantra of looking to the future rather than pining for the past. She could have continued on with her business, known that she would always have amazing contracts (typically skewed to her favor) and a husband who was her business equal. I would have loved to have that move forward rather than going back to Raphael her girlhood love. ***Spoilers over

All in all I love it. I think this is a book I could come back to - it's definitely one I have on my "to read in German when I learn how" shelf and I will be finding more to read from this author. Also, something practical I took away from this - get things in writing, always get things in writing. Anyway, go give it a try, I bet you'll enjoy it.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hour 20

I'm losing steam, I'm not going to lie, I don't think I am going to make it through this year.

My brother will be speaking in church tomorrow...today at 9 AM and I'm not sure if I can stay awake for it...

I will see if I can get another hour out of it.

Just finished Cloaked by Alex Flinn, now I'm looking around to figure out what I want my next book to be. When it comes to my TBR list it's obnoxiously long, impossibly long. So when it comes to Readathon days I simply surround myself with too many books so that no matter what mood I'm in I will find something that I want to read.

I'll let you know once I figure out my next bit of reading :)

So many books to choose from! And they all are calling my name!

Heading into hour 17

So this Readathon is killing me this year. I'm exhausted and have fallen asleep more than a few times. But I have liked my choices thus far.
1. The Five Daughters of the Moon by Leena Likitalo - It was one that intreagued me for a long time, sadly I just wasn't feeling it. Quick read, and I bet in a different mood it might strike my fancy.

2. Willpower Doesn't Work by Benjamin Hardy - loved it, might have been the wrong day for this one...I gotta admit all I wanted to do for a while was clean my room, through out all of my extra accumulation of things and stop reading...

WHICH I DID NOT DO! It is Readathon day! We must hold strong! We are going to keep going!



3. The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Kalssen - This one killed me. Persuasion is the best of Austen's novels - I will fight you over this and I will win because it is simply the best one hands down no battle. So any book that references or builds off of that amazing piece of literature makes me happy and I instantly find swoon worthy. Gah, it's the best and deserves it's full review at a later date.

For Now, back to the Readathon!

Dewey's 24 hour Readathon! Going into hour 3

Hour 3 has started. I was definitely up way too late last night as I had tickets to the Avengers with my family there was no way I was getting to bed early.

I was off to a rocky start, I didn't get going until 6:30 :/ But I have finished one book and am listening to another while I am writing this.

Hour 3 Stats:
Books Read: 1
Pages Completed: 235
Snacks: Just water, way too early to break into the snacks. So I will be sitting, reading and drinking my morning tea. :)



My internet is cutting out really badly right now...I will have check back in a couple hours from now.

A Refuge Assured

By: Jocelyn Green

Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

Rating: 4 stars

Summary:

Vivienne Rivard fled revolutionary France and seeks a new life for herself and a boy in her care, who some say is the Dauphin. But America is far from safe, as militiaman Liam Delaney knows. He proudly served in the American Revolution but is less sure of his role in the Whiskey Rebellion. Drawn together, will Liam and Vivienne find the peace they long for?

My Thoughts:

I have never read a book about the French refugees that fled to America during the revolution. Nor have I at all read (or studied) the Whisky Rebellion. To have a book containing both worlds was delightful. 

This is my first experience with Jocelyn Green and I don't plan on it being my last.

I do feel like this book is character driven, which is always my preference. Vivienne is amazing. She is strong - having to have nursed her mother until her death, secure her escape from the bloody regime and get to Pennsylvania and then learn a whole new way of living - gah! I wish I was able to do it with even half of her grace and determination. She knows who she is, she knows her worth and she knows and values work. But she is also proud - she doesn't forgive easily, she isn't always happy with everyone and felt real to me.

While it did take me a couple of chapters to get into the story once there I was hooked and didn't want to go back to work. (I typically spend my lunch break reading...this is a risky venture.) When looking at the comparisons between the French and American revolutions I was intrigued by the twist she brought to it. With so much of the Whisky Rebellion at the front and seeing the idea of freedom for all being changed to freedom "from" all. No taxes, no rule of law, if I don't want to do it, then i shouldn't have to and I must rebel. It was interesting to explore the themes of rule of law balancing with the personal rights/freedoms of the people. (Side note: It was fun to see Hamilton being name dropped, one of my favorites and I liked him before it was cool...)

The details of the world were amazing. Green's writing is vivid in its descriptions and moves at a nice pace. In particularly the way the romance between Liam and Vivienne worked out. It was a gradual build and the friendship grew along with the romantic feelings.  And it was simply lovely.

I most definitely have put the rest of her other books on my to-read list.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book for review.

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

By Julie Klassen
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Rating 4.5 Stars


Summary: On a rise overlooking the Wiltshire countryside stands the village of Ivy Hill. Its coaching inn, The Bell, is its lifeblood--along with the coach lines that stop there daily, bringing news, mail, travelers, and much-needed trade.
Jane Bell lives on the edge of the inn property. She had been a genteel lady until she married the charming innkeeper who promised she would never have to work in his family's inn. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Jane finds herself The Bell's owner, and worse, she has three months to pay a large loan or lose the place.
Feeling reluctant and ill-equipped, Jane is tempted to abandon her husband's legacy and return to her former life of ease. However, she soon realizes there is more at stake than her comfort. But who can she trust to help her? Her resentful mother-in-law? Her husband's brother, who wanted the inn for himself? Or the handsome newcomer with secret plans of his own . . . ?
With pressure mounting from the bank, Jane struggles to win over naysayers and turn the place around. 


My Thoughts:
Julie Klassen is one of my favorite authors. She could have her own sub category on this blog because of how many of her books I have read. This start of a series - a first for her. Unlike a majority of Christian writers seem to crank out trilogies like there is no tomorrow, capitalizing on their characters to keep us coming back for more - Klassen usually ties everything up in one book. I'm not complaining about this series approach. There are stories at in Ivy Hill and I'm excited to see how they fold out.

This approach also allows for the slow and steady pace which fits in perfectly with the setting. I didn't feel like it was dragging, it was merely taking its time and letting us enjoy the journey of Jane and Thora. The story unfolds gently, but with twists that I wasn't expecting, but with character growth that felt real. No one changed with a single revelation, they grow and change with minor set back the way we all do on our own little journeys.  (I hate it when books try to have someone change like a switch going off. Yes, I have those sparks of inspiration where I'm going to be a better person and make my bed every day, meal prep and go to the gym 3 times a week. But we all know that within a week I'm back to where I was but perhaps with the bed made 2 times a week) 

As usual, I fell in love with the characters - not all of them, I still don't know how I feel about Patrick and I don't think I would mind if he fell off the map. But Jane and Thora, Mercy and Rachel are all women I wanted to spend more time with. Each woman is strong in her own right and are all showing different facets of femininity. That perhaps is one of the greatest strengths of Klassen's characters I don't feel like these women are overly stereotyped or one dimensional. They are human and we get to see their strengths and weaknesses and grow closer to all of them.  

Overall if you like Christian Fiction that isn't too preachy, gentle stories that are reminiscent of Gaskell and Austen this is one I would recommend. I'm very excited to read the next book in the series.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Philospher's Flight - Guys and Gals, you have to read this!

The Philosopher’s Flight

By: Tom Miller

Genre: Fantasy, Revisionist History

Rating: 5 stars

Reader Advisory: For my more gentle readers, this does have many instances of four letter language and sexual encounters

Summary:

Eighteen-year-old Robert Weekes is a practitioner of empirical philosophy—an arcane, female-dominated branch of science used to summon the wind, shape clouds of smoke, heal the injured, and even fly. Though he dreams of fighting in the Great War as the first male in the elite US Sigilry Corps Rescue and Evacuation Service—a team of flying medics—Robert is resigned to mixing batches of philosophical chemicals and keeping the books for the family business in rural Montana, where his mother, a former soldier and vigilante, aids the locals.

When a deadly accident puts his philosophical abilities to the test, Robert rises to the occasion and wins a scholarship to study at Radcliffe College, an all-women’s school. At Radcliffe, Robert hones his skills and strives to win the respect of his classmates, a host of formidable, unruly women. 

Robert falls hard for Danielle Hardin, a disillusioned young war hero turned political radical. However, Danielle’s activism and Robert’s recklessness attract the attention of the same fanatical anti-philosophical group that Robert’s mother fought years before. With their lives in mounting danger, Robert and Danielle band together with a team of unlikely heroes to fight for Robert’s place among the next generation of empirical philosophers—and for philosophy’s very survival against the men who would destroy it.

My Thoughts:

I read this book too early. I can’t believe that the sequel isn’t coming out until next year! Faster please Mr. Miller!

I rarely win things in my life. This is one of the things that I won from a Goodreads Drawing and I’m supremely glad that I did. The cover art is wonderful and fits in with the period of the piece and I loved the revisionist/alternative history this story presents. This of course is a free and honest review – thank you goodreads for giving me the chance to read this.

Ok, now that disclaimers are over:

This was fascinating. I feel sorry for my coworkers because I started it during a quiet moment at work (should I have been reading…probably not but it was the end of the day and I was tired of dealing with the ins and outs of account maintenance) and after the prologue I was already telling me reading buddies “YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!”

What a wonderful concept, to have a sort of magic, it of course is science/alchemy, that allows you to fly, to transport, make things grow or to utterly destroy. Then take that one step further from our views of the world by making it a power that typically only women can wield. Sure, there are men who can do it with a bit of success, but the true power lies with the ladies. This sets up a lot of politics that is an interesting contrast to the world at the time (this takes place at the beginning of the 20^th century) and can be a study in contrasts with certain cultures and industries that are around even until today. And because it’s looked at through a lens that is so incredibly alien to what we see today it is made that much more striking.

Robert does not have an easy go of it at Radcliffe. He faces harassment, misandry and all sorts of terrible actions done to him simply because he is a man who has the nerve to enter into a woman’s world. The Radcliffe women are an eclectic bunch. Robert though lucks out into finding some other fliers who instantly take him under their proverbial wing, and while it doesn’t stop the attacks on his person and his progress, he does have friends who stand up for him. It was a good School type of book, these are young students who are coming into their powers as sigilists and who are still growing up themselves. 

With all that going on there is also the Trencher movement that has become more active and more deadly. Trenchers are the Anti-Philosophers. A group that wants women back where they belong and to know they have full control again. (I imagine it’s hard to put a woman down in a world where she could, with almost no effort at all dissolve your bones where you stand so that you die in a puddle of your own organs) This group has been pressing for more and more Anti-Philosopher Legislation at DC, has been doing random lynching’s of women and their families. Robert’s mother has been known to pick of more than one Trencher in her time and Robert needs to determine how he is going to face the political battles of his parents generation that are now a part of his own.

And there is a lovely and, in my opinion, real story of a relationship that blooms between him and Danielle Hardin. A heroine transporter who had saved the lives of countless men at war overseas. She is also African American and not at all what one would imagine a leading lady to look like nor act like. I loved them. Their story wasn’t first and foremost in the plot. It wasn’t the end goal, it simply happened, and the story was richer for it.

This just recently came out. I recommend it highly. It presents an interesting look at class warfare, gender warfare and the next book I am fairly certain will be looking into the actions taken in war and their consequences.

Read it, tell me what you thought. Let’s chat about it because I thought there is much that can be discussed.

The Bear and the Nightingale

The Bear and the Nightingale
By: Katherine Arden
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

Summary:
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind--she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.
And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.
As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed--this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales. 
x

My Thoughts:
I have been lucking out with this round of Reader's Choice books at my library. I have loved all of the ones I have read thus far and each has been vastly different. So good on you Salt Lake County Librarians! Keep the good recommendations coming.

Oh what a wondrous fairy tale. Perfect to bring out on a cold winter night and take yourself to far away places. I often imagine myself reading books to my future children at night, and this is definitely going to be one of those. 

My experience with Russian literature is not extensive, the 3 Russian pieces that all American’s seem to read – War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and Crime and Punishment are the extent of my actual Russian exposure. But that was enough to make me love it. The cadence of the stories, the blend of the Christian, the Pagan and the Human, and he rich sentence structure (yes it was translated and I know that language itself is lost in the translation but there is just this feel in Russian writings that I don’t really find anywhere else)

I found this here. Yes the author is from the US, but she did spend time in Russia and studying Russian literature and at least to me it is reflected beautifully here. I loved the power and depth of the characters. I love how other worldly it felt. I want to learn more about Vasilisa  and her powers. And I’m very excited that we will get to do so.

She is so incredibly strong, yet also fragile. Fiercely loyal to her family, but also to the truth she knows to exist. She trusts herself and will not be swayed by the insistence of others, yet she balances her fierce spirit with a respect for the beliefs and lives of others. She is a character I wouldn’t want to sip coffee with, she is that fairy tale heroine who you look upto but could never touch. She is a wood-sprite, with a spirit part of me wishes to have and a freedom that I think everyone secretly or not desires. There is dignity and power to her, she isn’t immortal, the danger she faces is real Highlight for spoiler: and I never assumed that she would end up surviving the whole book. (Yes, I know there are sequels, but when Death is one of your characters really anything is possible)

And can we look at the Priest for a minute. He is such a complex mess of human follies. He has many talents, his painting and is voice are a siren’s call – there is magic in him that simply isn’t viewed as such. He is set on a path of grandeur while young and thrown from it without any say in the matter. He is prideful rather than pious, he is so far from the God he professes to serve that it is no wonder how he ended up.

I need friends to read this! I want to talk about it. To go over the characters, the story, the themes. To speak of bravery, loyalty - to self and to family, and of owning your destiny. Would I recommend this book? Most definitely. It is for those who are finally old enough to read fairy tales again, those who like the feel of Russia but don’t necessarily want to spend the eternity it takes to read War & Peace and for those who want a story with a strong female character that isn’t bogged down by romance.

Once you have read it, let me know – we can go out for a hot chocolate and discuss. I can’t wait to chat with you.

Gregor the Overlander Series

Gregor the Overlander Series
By: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Rating: 4 stars

Summary:

When Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their New York apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city. There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches, and rats--but the fragile peace is about to fall apart.

Gregor wants no part in this conflict, but again and again, he and his family are drawn into the Underland. Gregor must find his place in the frightening prophecies he encounters, the strength to protect his family, and the courage to defend against an army of giant rats.

My Thoughts:

I have been listening to this series for the past month or so while doing some overtime at work (the reader is great one of my favorites) and I gotta admit, this isn't the kind of book I should have been listening to. I would be IM'ing my co-workers with "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" or "Baddie is gone!" or "If this person doesn't die soon I am going to lose it." I have always been an emotional reader so bringing books into the workplace has always been a risk, but this was a very fun one to take.

These books were recommended to me by a friend years ago. She worked with 6th graders and helping them read and this series is right in that ball park. Suzanne Collins is much more widely known for her Hunger Games novels, but in all honesty I loved these ones so much more. They help young children explore themes of prejudice - like with Gregor's acceptance of Twitchtip in book 2, of how far should one go to win a war (book 3 on basically), the need for self control - Gregor and his Rager abilities and, of course, the importance of family. They do read more juvenile with some of the lessons being hit a little bit over the head (book 4 veers straight into knock-you-over-the-head Holocaust allegory) but they are good lessons to explore. I feel like Collins conveyed these themes much better with this series than she did with Hunger Games. I liked Gregor much more than Katniss and there was no stupid love triangles...because the kids are 12.

I have fallen in love with the strength of the various characters - everyone needs a Mrs. Cormacy in their lives, Boots is the little sister/niece/cousin who we all grew up with, and who wouldn't want a huge bat like Aires who could fly you around.  I found this to be a fun series, it is one that I will have on my shelves when I have children/nieces&nephews/god-children because it is a fun adventure with lots of growth mixed in.

Thank you Suzanne for this marvelous adventure. 

A Name Unknown 

by Roseanna M. White 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis:

Rosemary Gresham has found her family’s ticket to a better life – at least for now – when she is hired by the mysterious Mr. V to determine where the true loyalties of Peter Holstein truly lie. Set on the eve of WWII, A Name Unknown follows Rosemary’s attempts to prove Peter’s guilt. With such a German name, there really is only one country that has his heart, surely. Peter meanwhile is frantically trying to put his library in order trying to find proof of his British Citizenship while keeping some other secrets of his own.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book. I read Christian Fiction to escape my life, be happy and find good endings. A Name Unknown fit the bill. It took me longer than I would have liked to be hooked, but I blame my busy lifestyle rather than the actual writing of the book. [I’m working 50 hour work weeks and getting my MBA so finding time to do anything besides sleep and homework really does take some doing. Thankfully I had a sick day which let me dive into this uninterrupted, to be completely honest...I finished this in class where I am, even now, as I write up this review.]

When I got into it I didn’t want to put it down. White did a wonderful job of weaving the story together, of bringing in characters that I loved. More than anything it has made me want to visit Cornwall.

It also felt timely. In a year with mounting xenophobia a book with themes of hating and fearing your neighbors simply due to their last name has been come all too strong of a temptation. We never should assume to know another person’s heart, projecting our biases and fears on to those who are around us. Peter and his struggle with his neighbors demonstrated how wrong we really can be in our judgement.

Overall, it was a nice story and I’m excited to read the next installment.