May 2021 in Books

There were a lot of really great books this month, especially if you like historical fiction (both adult and YA).  I'm still trying to balance the adult/kid books too which is why my totals are always so inflated.  Here are the recaps:

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk - Kathleen Rooney - fiction - five stars - So I actually read this book in April, but forgot to put it into Goodreads/the April blog post.  I really enjoyed this one.  If you're a fan of New York City, or just how cities change over time, I think you'll really enjoy it.  Eighty-five year old Lillian Boxfish heads out on New Year's Eve to go to dinner at her usual place.  After dinner, she decides to take a walk around the city she loves, and as she is traversing New York, she reflects on her life.  How she came to the city, her career as an advertising executive for Macy's, her family life, and her retirement years.  She lived a very full life, one that was ground breaking for her era, and Rooney does a really amazing job weaving that together with overall cultural changes and changes in the city.  I loved Lillian's character and voice.  Definitely worth the read!

Sunflower Sisters (Lilac Girls, #3) - Martha Hall Kelly - historical fiction - five stars - I am so sad that this is the last book in Kelly's exploration of the Ferriday women.  I have loved each of the books in this series and this is no different.  This book explores the life of Georgeanna Woolsey, a Ferriday ancestor, who was a Union nurse during the Civil War and later went on to found a school for female nurses.  Her story is woven together with that of Jemma, a slave on Peeler Plantation who lives through terrible tragedies, ends up masquerading as a boy in the Union army serving as a drummer, goes to New York with Georgeanna, and returns to Maryland to try and free the rest of her family.  The stories of both women are compelling and remarkable.  This, like the rest of the books in the series, is a must read.

No Ordinary Thing - G.Z. Schmidt - juvenile fiction - four stars - Carina read this one and really enjoyed it, and insisted that I read it too.  It's about a 12 year old boy named Adam.  His parents died and he lives with his uncle.  One day he discovers a snow globe in his parents effects.  The snow globe is magical and he discovers that it transports him to the past where he meets new friends and tries to unravel the mystery of the snow globe and how it works.  Meanwhile the book also tells the story of Elbert the Excellent, a magician and candlemaker whose story affects Adam's.  This was a little bit predictable, and I felt there were some things that could have tied together better, but overall it was a good story.  Adam is likable as are the people he meets along the way.  A fun read.

Missionaries - Phil Klay - fiction - three stars - I thought this one would be better.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but overall it was just kind of meh.  It's probably more like two and a half stars, but I rounded up.  Lisette is a foreign correspondent who has been covering America's military in Iraq and Afghanistan.  She needs a change and asks a friend where is a war that America is winning?  He directs her to Columbia.  But at the end of the day, it seems like war is war regardless of where you are.  The book also follows the story of Abel, whose family was killed when he was young.  He then went to work for one of the militias, but you see that in that area of Columbia, it doesn't really matter who is in charge.  That changes frequently, what doesn't chance is the 'vaccine' or fee that the locals must pay to whoever is in charge.  In general this book was a pretty depressing look at war and the struggle for power that transcends location.

The Paris Library - Janet Skeslien Charles - historical fiction - five stars - Last month I mentioned that I was tired of books about libraries, historical fiction set in Paris, and historical fiction with dual timelines (one being the present).  This book is all of those things, but I loved it.  It's the story of Odile Souchet, who gets her dream job working for the American Library in Paris in 1939.  I loved learning about the library, which I never knew existed.  You're introduced to a whole variety of characters - those working in the library as well a the regular subscribers/patrons.  This mostly happy community is, of course, affected by the war.  Roles change as people go off to war, as they have to change how the library functions/serves the community.  I loved hearing about the book service they created collecting donations and sending bundles of books/periodicals to soldiers during the war.  Soon enough the library can no longer serve Jews, and Odile and others begin delivering books to these patrons, at great risk to themselves.  I think the thing that I liked about the dual timeline in this book is that the focus was really all on Odile.  The present-day story is about a girl named Lily, growing up in Montana who lives next door to the very private Odile.  They get to know one another, and Odile helps Lily through a very difficult childhood.  But the focus of the book is on Odile, and rather than an even sharing of the story it's probably about 75%/25% Odile vs. Lily.  Highly recommend.

Unbound: A Novel in Verse - Ann E. Burg - juvenile historical fiction - five stars - I think this is the third novel in verse that Ellie and I have read from Burg.  The topics have all been varied, but they have all gotten five stars.  This book is about a slave named Grace who is called up to work in the Big House.  She doesn't want to go, and misses her family desperately.  She struggles working under a very demanding mistress and eventually she and her family must flee.  They head into the Great Dismal Swamp seeking refuge and freedom.  Burg is such a good storyteller and does an amazing job bringing her characters to life .  

The Light in Hidden Places - Sharon Cameron - young adult historical fiction - five stars - Both Ellie and I loved this one.  This is based on the true story of Stefania Podgorska, a Polish girl who at the beginning of WWII had been working for and living with the Diamant family who owned a grocery store in Przemysl, Poland.  Stefania was considered part of the family, and was in love and had promised to marry Izio, one of their sons.  When the Germans invade, the Diamants are sent to the ghetto, and Stefania is left alone and without a family.  She does all she can to help the diamants, smuggling them food and supplies, but as conditions in the ghetto worsen, she's asked to do more.  Meanwhile, she becomes the caretaker of her younger sister Helena after going home to visit her family and finding that her mother and brother have been taken to work camps.  As the Diamant family shrinks, she's asked to shelter the few remaining members. She agrees, but ends up sheltering 13 Jews, which becomes even more complicated and dangerous when the extra room in her home is claimed by the Nazis to house Nazi nurses.  An amazing story of survival and sacrifice.  

The Explorer - Katherine Rundell - juvenile fiction - five stars - This was one of Carina's picks for me to read.  I'll say that the whole scenario is generally unbelievable, but if you let go of that fact, it is a really good story, and one that I think is great for middle grade readers.  Four children are headed back to England from Manaus when their pilot suffers what sounds like a cardiac event and crashes in the jungle.  The kids survive and find a way to survive in the jungle, figuring out what they can eat, learning to build a fire, creating raft that they hope will lead them to safety/home.  They find a map that leads them to an ancient city and a potential way home.  I liked the characters, I liked how the kids worked together, discovered things, had to deal with difficult choices and 

The Queen's Gambit - Walter Tevis - fiction - five stars - So I'll start by saying that I haven't watched this Netflix show, but lots of people I know did and raved about it, and I didn't even realize it was based on a book until I saw this at the library.  Based on the buzz about how good the show was, I figured I would give the book a try.  It's about Beth Harmon, orphaned at eight when her mother dies, who learns to play chess at her orphanage.  She is a prodigy.  She is also addicted to tranquilizers as are many of the kids at the orphanage because the director gives them to the kids like vitamins to keep them docile.  Beth is adopted by an older couple, it turns out that it's mostly for the stipend they receive to adopt her, they're not that interested in having a child, but when the husband abandons the family, and the mother realizes that there's money to be made in winning chess competitions, Beth and her adopted mom slowly start to become a team/family.  There's a lot about the ins and outs of chess not all of which I followed since I know only rudimentary chess, but it was a really fascinating glimpse into that world and a compelling book.  Now I'm trying to decide if I should watch the show, or if it would annoy me (if it deviates too much from the book).  Definitely recommend.  

We Begin at the End - Chris Whitaker - fiction - five stars - This was such a good book, the kind where I immediately want to borrow other books by the author.  It's a heartbreaking sad book about how one little mistake ripples and causes  and changes the lives of so many people.  Walk is the sheriff of his small town, years ago his testimony sent his best friend Vincent to jail.  Now Vincent is being released and Walk wants to help him reintegrate.  Meanwhile the crime he committed, accidental death of the sister of his then girlfriend Star continues to haunt him.  Star's daughter Duchess has grown up in a broken family, her mother is on a path to self-destruction and Duchess is trying desperately to retain a sense of normalcy for her little brother with the help of Walk.  There is so much sadness and misunderstanding in this book, and as it progresses there are revelations that were definitely surprising for me.  I think the agonizing thing is the good intentions at the heart of so many of the characters, but they are misunderstood and taken on in a vacuum don't have the intended effect.  Such a good read.

Notorious - Gordon Korman - juvenile fiction - four stars - I honestly think Carina has checked out every Gordon Korman book that our library owns.  I'm working through them at a much slower pace than she is.  This was a cute story about Keenan, a boy who normally lives abroad with his mom, but contracted tuberculosis and is now living with his dad on Centerlight Island, a fictitious island split between Canada and the US, while he recovers.  Centerlight is a very small island, most of the population has lived there for years so being the new kid he is quite the novelty.  Keenan is befriended by Zarabeth, aka Zeebee, who loves the island and it's history.  It was a stomping ground for organized crime in the Prohibition era and there's rumored to be treasure buried on the island.  Zeebee is famous on the island as the owner of Barney, a dog that wreaked havoc and was hated by almost everyone.  Barney died recently, Zeebee considers his death suspicious, and her parents replaced him with a much smaller dog who adores her, but who doesn't compare with the original Barney.  This is a cute story about friendship with a bit of mystery mixed in as Keenan begins to believe Zeebee's claims about Barney's death.  As always Korman creates funny and sympathetic characters.  If you like Korman, you'll like this one.

The Cross and the Switchblade - David Wilkerson - auto-biography - five stars - Our old pastor has a list of books that he had his kids in high school and college.  I'm working my way through the high school list as I'd like to do something similar with our girls.  This was the first book I picked up from the list and I read a chapter a day as part of my devotions.  What an amazing story!  Wilkerson is country preacher who is moved by a newspaper article about a vicious gang killing in New York City.  He feels called to go there and as he does, discovers a vast mission field ministering to the gangs of New York.  Wilkerson's call was completely unexpected and required him to step out completely on faith, and it was amazing to see how his efforts and faithfulness were rewarded.  Such an uplifting and encouraging story.  That said, this is one that I will probably share with Ellie in another year or two.  The kids Wilkerson worked with were definitely in need and some of the circumstances/situations are a little more on mature than I think she is ready for.

This Light Between Us: A Novel of World War II - Andrew Fukada - young adult historical fiction - five stars - Another great WWII story.  Alex Maki, a Japanese American boy who lives on Bainbridge Island in Washington is assigned a pen pal Charlie (who the teacher thought was a boy but is actually a girl) from France in 1935.  Their correspondence long outlasts the school assignment.  The book shares sone of the letters between the two and their growing friendship.  The correspondence is interleaved with narrative about Alex's life in Washington.  Following WWII, Alex's family begins to experience discrimination, curfews, difficulties at school, etc.  His father is arrested.  He writes to Charlie about these difficulties, and she too shares her troubles as she is Jewish.  Eventually, Alex's family interned at Manzanar, and then the letters from Charlie stop.  In the camp Alex decides to enlist.  He believes that if he does his father will be released, but he also wants to go to Europe to search for Charlie.  Really well done.  I loved both Alex and Charlie and their friendship.

The Case of the Left-Handed Lady (Enola Holmes, #2) - Nancy Springer - juvenile detective - five stars - So the last Enola Holmes book I read was actually book #3 which was OK, but not as good as the first one.  This one was more of a return to that first book for me.  In this book Enola is looking for Lady Cecily who has disappeared all while trying to evade her brother Sherlock.  This book filled in a few of the blanks from that third book, how Enola set up her office and business and I also really loved the developing relationship between her and Sherlock.  

The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan (Enola Holmes, #4) - Nancy Springer - juvenile detective - five stars - I had also borrowed this fourth Enola Holmes book, and I really enjoyed this one as well.  I think it's because I read them back to back and the mystery here also involves Lady Cecily who Enola runs into unexpectedly, and who appears to be in trouble.  At the same time, Enola's relationship with Sherlock continues to evolve, and they even work together on the case.  Just a fun dynamic.  Looking forward to the next book (which is waiting for me at the library)!

A Burning - Megha Majumdar - fiction - four stars - So this book was interesting.  It's probably more of a three and half, but I rounded up.  It's about Jivan, a Muslim girl who lives in the slums in India.  She has a lot of promise, has a job, and is working to better herself, but after sharing some opinions in a response to a Facebook post about the bombing of a train by terrorists, she is accused of aiding the terrorists.  The Indian justice system leaves a lot to be desired.  The book is really about choices as well, it follows a couple other characters, PT Sir, the PE teacher at the school Jivan attended, who by chance becomes involved in a political party.  Corruption is rampant in India and he's asked to do some favors for the party and the slowly spiral into acts which he would not have been comfortable with in the beginning.  There is also Lovely, an aspiring actress who Jivan had been tutoring in English.  She actually testifies for Jivan, which brings her some notoriety and acting opportunities, but does not help further as she does not want to jeopardize her budding career.  It was an interesting look at India, but also kind of depressing.

How High the Moon - Karyn Parsons - historical fiction - four stars - This is another where it's more of a three and a half and I rounded up.  Ellie read this one and really enjoyed it and passed it on to me.  Fun fact, the author was Will Smith's cousin in Fresh Prince.  This is the story of Ella who lives in the little town of Alcolu in South Carolina.  Her mother has been living in Boston, working building ships for the Navy and singing in night clubs in the evening.  Ella's mom invites her to come stay with her in Boston for a while and Ella is elated.  Boston is a world of difference from South Carolina, especially since the story occurs in the Jim Crow era and Ella is shocked by the difference in treatment of African Americans in the north vs. the south.  When Ella returns to Alcolu, she finds herself in a completely different world, her friend George Stinney has been arrested for the murder of two white girls.  My main issue with this book is that it was almost two separate books.  Ella visiting her mother and then the evens surrounding George Stinney's arrest.  It felt very disconnected and not tied together.  The stories are both compelling, but I felt like I wanted more of each.  George's story is actually true, and heartbreaking.

The Nature of Fragile Things - Susan Meissner - historical fiction - five stars - Another fantastic historical fiction book for this month.  I read this one so quickly, I really liked Sophie, the protagonist.  She is an Irish immigrant who was struggling in New York. She sees an advertisement for a wife/mother in California.  She has always wanted a family, and decides that that life would be preferable to freezing and starving in New York even if the circumstances are unconventional.  Her new husband is aloof and travels a great deal, but she grows to love his daughter Kat, who speaks very little, but slowly comes out of her shell.  On the evening of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake a stranger appears at the door.  Her arrival leads Sophie to discover why her husband is so distant and aloof and sets the women on a path to make things right.  Really enjoyed this one.

Lawless (Lawless, #1) - Jeffrey Salane - juvenile fiction - five stars - This one has been in the to read pile for a while.  Carina read it a while ago and immediately ordered the other two books in the series and Ellie zoomed through the series also.  I'm just now getting around to it, but I agree with them that it's a great book.  It's about M Freeman, a girl who has lived a pretty solitary existence for most of her life.  Her father died when she was young and her mother travels a great deal, she is homeschooled.  She is accepted into the Lawless school, which her father apparently attended, which graduates the most talented criminals in the world.  M has a knack for the business and is invited to be part of the exclusive 'Masters' clique at the school.  I thought it was a really interesting concept and I liked that you really couldn't tell who was good or bad, friend or foe.  M is very likable, and I'm really curious to see where this series is going.

There were so many five star books this month that I really don't feel like I can pick a favorite.  It was just a great month of reading.  Right now I'm reading The Rebel Nun, a book that I saw when I was browsing at the library (Yes!  I was in a library and I got to browse!) that just looked interesting, and I'm really enjoying it.  Next up I have the rest of the Lawless series as well as The Good Doctor of Warsaw.  Would love to know what you've been reading.