I'm a couple days late with my reading recap, but what a great month of reading. There were so many good books this month! Here's what I read:
The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage - Keith Gave - non-fiction - five stars - It's no secret that I'm a big hockey fan, and I am also a big Detroit Red Wings fan (although my favorite team is the Washington Capitals). This was a fascinating book for me, and even if you are not a huge hockey fan, this is just a great great story. Gave tells about how the Detroit Red Wings turned the franchise around after it was purchased by the Ilitches, how they really went out on a limb and started drafting Russian players even though there was no guarantee that those individuals would be able to, or would want to play in the U.S. He details how they were able to get said Russians to either defect or receive permission to leave to play in the U.S., and how Detroit assembled a hockey powerhouse. Great, great book.
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #4) - Trenton Lee Stewart - juvenile fiction - five stars - I can't tell you house excited I was to learn that there was another Mysterious Benedict Society book. This is one of Ellie's and my favorites series, and this book did not disappoint. The story picks up several years after the last book. The kids are all a bit older, and starting to contemplate what to do next - college, careers, etc. They are thrust into another adventure when the Ten Men are broken out of prison. They need to determine what their plan is, and save Mr. Benedict. It was so fun to become reacquainted with beloved characters, and there really is no drop off in the tone, tenor, or quality of writing from the previous books. Loved it.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota - J. Ryan Stradal - fiction - five stars - I picked this one up on a whim, as it was on a couple of recommended lists from publishers, and I really loved it. The story follows two sisters, Helen, who pursues a dream to become a brewer at the expense of her sister, and Edith, who follows her own dream, pursues a more conventional path to marriage and motherhood. who struggles through financial hardship and emotional heartbreak. I loved how the book made you like both the sisters, although Edith a little more, and how they, as well as Edith's grand daughter Diana, had such strong characters and voices. I am not a fan of beer (I like my drinks sweet and fruity), but I loved the description of the brewing process and the emotional reaction Helen has to beer. I loved this one so much I went to the library and got Stradal's first book to read (more on that below).
The Bootlace Magician (Circus Mirandus, #2) - Cassie Beasley - juvenile fiction - five stars - This is the sequel to Circus Mirandus which I read a while back. I will say that I was a bit discombobulated for the first few chapters until I got reoriented because in the interim I had read The Night Circus, and while those books are vastly different, there are some strong commonalities particularly in terms of the way people experience the circus and how they come to the circus. Once I got my bearings, I loved it. In the story, Micah, now part of the circus family, is trying to find his place in it. He is learning how to interact with the different groups and members, assuming some responsibilities, and trying to learn about his magical gift. As the same time, he start to unravel a mystery/threat to the circus. I loved how the story came together, and how Micah developed, and if I'm reading the ending right, I'm looking forward to another sequel!
To the Land of Long Lost Friends (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #20) - Alexander McCall Smith - detective - four stars - I always enjoy these No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books because the characters have become so real to me. In this book, Mwa Ramotswe tackles the difficulty of a childhood friend who asks her to look into her daughters' goings on. It's a tricky situation which, of course, Mwa Ramotswe handles in just the right way. Meanwhile, Charlie is dealing with the fact that he would love to marry Queenie-Queenie, but hasn't the means to pay a dowry much less support them both. I especially loved how his situation turned out. I've been rooting for Charlie a lot the last couple books, and I love seeing how he's grown up.
Cilka's Journey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #2) - Heather Morris - I loved The Tattooist of Aushwitz, and was very excited when I heard that Morris was writing another story based on Cilka,
Lale and Gita's friend who helped them through much of their time in Aushwitz. After liberation, Cilka was considered a collaborator and sent to a gulag in Siberia for a 15 year sentence. Because much less is known about Cilka, this books is a much looser depiction of her time, but she was eventually able to find work as a nurse at the work camp and was also able to secure an earlier release.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid - historical fiction - five stars - Earlier this year I read Daisy Jones and the Six and loved it so much I wanted to try something else from the author. This was another really great read. Screen legend Evelyn Hugo is auctioning off some of her signature outfits for charity, and has granted an exclusive interview to a magazine, but insists that she will only give the interview to Monique Grant, a very junior reporter. When Monique shows up, Evelyn informs her that rather than write an article, she wants her to write her life's story, and she will have exclusive rights to it. Evelyn proceeds to share her story, which is roughly divided up between husbands. The book intersperses the interview sessions with 'clippings' from the newspapers/gossip magazines at the time which provides the reader with an interesting perspective of what was true and what wasn't, and how sometimes Hollywood used those magazines to spin the story they wanted told. There are also pieces of Monique's life in there, and by the end of the story you understand why Evelyn chose Monique. I really loved how this came together and the amazing character that Reid created in Evelyn Hugo.
The Pearl Thief - Elizabeth Wein - juvenile historical fiction - three stars - This is a prequel to Code Name Verity, which I loved. The story is focused on Julie and her family and her life before Verity. This was a huge disappointment for me. I feel like it took SO LONG to get into the story, it was really meandering, and I just didn't like Julie like I did in Verity. Meh.
Kitchens of the Great Midwest - J. Ryan Stradal - fiction - four stars - This is Stradal's first book which I went out and picked up after I finished Lager Queen. This one wasn't as good as the first. It took a lot longer to get into, but I did really like how it wove together in the end. It's the story of Eva Thorvald and her journey to becoming am chef. Each of the chapters talks about a specific dish and a specific person in Eva's story. It's a story about tragedy, but also about succeeding despite the odds. There's a wonderful resiliency about the characters and the story. Definitely worth reading.
The Rosie Result (Don Tillman, #3) - Graeme Simsion - fiction - four stars - I have really enjoyed the Rosie series and the quirky characters. This edition focuses on Don and Rosie's son Hudson. They've moved back to Australia and Hudson is having difficulty adjusting to his new school, and they want to have him tested to see if he is on the spectrum. While Don and Rosie aren't sure if he is or is not, they do not want to have him tested and labeled at this point. And so, Don initiates the Hudson project to try and help Hudson fit in and become a more 'normal' boy. I really loved how Don and Rosie dealt with the issue, trying to tackle it logically and how Don internally was ticking off things that were and were not indicators. Meanwhile, I loved Hudson's view of the situation and how comfortable he became with the concept. I'm hoping there will be more Rosie books in the future.
In Pieces - Sally Field - memoir - four stars - A very honest look at her life. I thought this was very interesting, particularly given the current #MeToo movement. It was really interesting to me how Field was typecast and how hard she had to work to get roles outside her Gidget/Flying Nun persona. The vast majority of the book was focused on her early career and I do wish that it had delved more into her later roles/life. If you like Hollywood memoirs this is a good one.
Super hard to pick a favorite this month, especially since I read several sequels with characters that I liked so much, so I'm going to punt and not name favorites. I'm currently reading Maid, and have a couple other biographies waiting in the wings. Would love to know what you've been reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment