The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner

[I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]   

Release date: 3/19/19
Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Historical fiction
Features: WWII, internment camps, strong families, friendship, finding identity, dealing with cultural racism, Alzheimer's disease
Quotes:

"There were two kinds of mirrors. There was the kind you looked into to see what you looked like, and then there was the kind you looked into and saw what other people thought you looked like."

"Don't lose sight of who you are . . . Don't give into anger and bitterness . . . Sometimes it's not about right and wrong but now and later. Right now, we are having to put up with a difficult situation that we don't deserve, and it's not right. But later, when the war is over, we'll remember that we didn't let it break us."

"Maybe being brave is different than being unafraid. If you're not afraid, what is there to be brave about?"


This book has so many excellent quotes about identity and dealing with hardships, but I'll refrain from posting them all here and just tell you to read the book and discover them yourself. I was so thrilled to be given access to this book (thank you, NetGalley!) since I really enjoyed reading Meissner's book last year, As Bright as Heaven. I love how both of these books by Meissner shed light on a historical event that sadly I knew little about. For this book, I was surprised to discover that many Germans in America were deported to internment camps during WWII. I knew about the Japanese, but I had never known that the same thing happened to Germans, many who had been in America for decades. 

I loved getting to see WWII from the perspective of Elise and her German family. Her father, unjustly accused of being a Nazi sympathizer, remains strong and caring for his family through all the trials they endure: the internment camp, repatriation to Germany, and surviving the war in Germany. He is a rock. It's amazing what many of the German citizens experienced back in Germany, many of whom were not supporters of Hiter or his ideas. They nevertheless experienced the destruction and depravity of war, and many lost their lives simply because they were in towns targeted by Allied forces. I liked how this book, like The Book Thief, gave insight into how the average German citizens lived during the war. 

I also loved the friendship between the main character and Mariko, a Japanese girl at the internment camp Elise and her family were sent to. Despite their different cultural backgrounds, they discover that they have many things in common and become fast friends. Of course, I can't tell you what happens to their friendship over the years (the story is narrated by an aging Elise); you'll just have to read it. 

Speaking of the story being narrated by an aging Elise, this book gave such a fresh and insightful look at Alzheimer's. The first chapter opens with Elise knowing she has Alzheimer's and wanting to find answers about people in her past before the disease takes away her memories. Meissner, though, personifies this disease expertly and descriptively. Elise names her disease "Agnes" after a girl she knew as a child who had a penchant for stealing: "I can feel Agnes tugging at these thoughts of mine as the jet climbs the sky. She wants them. Like a child who wants handfuls of candy before supper, she wants them." I loved this description!

And lastly, I just loved how this book showed Elise's growth over the decades. From a young American girl in Iowa who German roots unjustly sent to an internment camp, to a teenager in war-torn Germany longing for her American home, and then a young woman in post-war California trying to find her way and identity and romance, this book was excellent. 

One of few things I didn't love was how much of her life was left un-examined after she moved back to America at the end of the war. I still give this book a solid 4/5 stars. 

To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

[I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]   

Release date: 3/19/19
Rating: 3/5 stars
Genre: Young adult fantasy
Features: Strong female characters, supportive family, family illness, female scientist, high-stakes competition, oppressive social systems, women's rights, science/biology
Quotes: 

"Careful, Miss Tellur. Women who don't know their place have a habit of losing their place."

"You are a specific kind of species, my girl. A strange and terrifying beauty of mind."

"You win this thing, Rhen Tellur. Enough to make [the boys] regret they weren't born women."

"You take this world and make it what it should be. And don't let the beliefs of a backward system define you. You are the one who has to live with the future, baby girl. So you live it."


What attracted me to this book was the unique plot line. Yes, a number of YA lit books have a "competition" -- Hunger Games, Caraval, Maze Runner -- but this one has a new premise: once a year, a wealthy citizen of the community hosts a dangerous and elaborate game that tests the mental, psychological, and physical strength of the contestants. The victor must be skilled in math and science, and they receive a scholarship to a college as their prize. 

I liked that this YA lit book applauded the world of academia, and moreover, math and science for women. Of course, it's even better that the book supports women in science, as the main character is a 17-year-old girl. I won't give any spoilers, but she must go up against the prevailing attitudes and systems of her day to change the status quo and follow her own scientific pursuits. 

I also liked that Rhen, the main character, had two supportive and living parents that loved her and each other. It's rare to see this in YA lit. Rhen had her own way of thinking, too, and didn't let society define her for her. She didn't let boys define her either, and she didn't ever change for a boy. (Finally!)

What I didn't like as much: the writing style, world building, and plot development. Each of these was lacking, which is a shame because the basic plot and premise was so promising. These were the main things that brought down my rating, because honestly, they are the things I appreciate most in a book. I think if the book had gone through more editing, some of this could have been remedied. 

Overall, though, if you want to read an empowering story about a girl defining her own future with a supportive, intact family and a sweet, healthy romance on the side, this is the book for you. 

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

[I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]   

Release date: 4/2/19
Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Women's fiction/historical fiction
Features: Strong women, Mennonite faith, community tragedy, crimes against women
Quotes:

"But is forgiveness that it coerced true forgiveness?  . . . And isn't the lie of pretending to forgive with words but not with one's heart a more grievous sin than to simply no forgive? Can't there be a category of forgiveness that is up to God alone . . . ?

"Peters said these men are evil, the perpetrators, but that's not true. It's the quest for power . . . that is responsible for these attacks."

"We are wasting time . . . by passing this burden, this sack of stones, from one to the next, by pushing our pain away. We mustn't do this . . . Let's absorb it, each of us . . . Let's inhale it, let's digest it, let's process it into fuel."


Wow. What a stellar, thought-provoking novel. I flew through the book in a few days, and am still mulling over what I read. 

To give some background, this book is a fictionalized account based on actual events that happened in a Bolivian Mennonite community between 2005 and 2009. (Here is a link about the event: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-14688458) Over a hundred women were raped at night by men in their community after being drugged by belladonna, a chemical often used to anesthetize cows. Toews' story picks up after the attacks have happened and the men have left the community and gone to town for a few days to post bail for the attackers. In their absence, eight women have secretly met in a barn loft to discuss what they should: should they leave the community, or stay? One man is present to take meeting notes for the women.

This book had such strong and fascinating characters. Although the women in the community were unable to read and write (and only knew the Bible from what the men had taught them), they had such intellectual and thoughtful ways of discussing the tragedy that had happened and what to do about it. They had to wrestle with their beliefs as Mennonites and their personal goals of protecting themselves and their children. I had to wonder what I would do in their situation, when all I knew was my community, I couldn't read or write, I was discouraged to think for myself, and I had no idea what lay outside in the world. Would I decide to leave, for a hopefully better life for me and my children? Or would I stay, hoping things would change for the better or fearful of what would happen if I left?

This book is for anyone who enjoys reading about strong women and dealing with a community tragedy. 

2018: A Bookish Year in Review

As I say goodbye to yet another year, I pause to reflect on my literary adventures of 2018. This year, I read 38 books (a few less than last year), but I read a number of gems and discovered new genres I enjoyed, specifically memoirs and nonfiction. I also finished reading through the Harry Potter series -- for the first time! :) 

Here's a list of what I read, what I rated them, and a micro overview. I've starred my top ten of the year.

1. Watch for the Light - 3/5 stars - A compilation of essays and sermons relating to Advent and Christmas, some of the selections were better than others.

2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 4/5 stars - The one where we find out more about Snape's backstory! :)

3. As Bright as Heaven - 4/5 stars - An enjoyable ARC historical fiction about the Spanish flu in the early 1900s, Philadelphia (thanks for the e-galley, NetGalley!). 

4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - 4/5 stars - The wrap-up of the Harry Potter series -- so glad I finally read them all!

5. Snow Falling on Cedars - 3/5 stars - Historical fiction set in the Pacific Northwest during WWII era and America's fear of the Japanese, including its own citizens. (Interesting historical backdrop, but too explicit for my taste.)

6. *Educated - 4/5 stars - A fascinating memoir of a girl who grew up in an isolated, survivalist Mormon family. (Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!)

7. Surprised by Joy - 4/5 stars - C.S. Lewis' autobiography.

8. Ready Player One - 3/5 stars - A sci-fi dystopia perfect for 80s pop culture fans and computer geeks (it was a little too computer/video-game-y for me). 

9. Five Decades: Poems by Pablo Neruda - 4/5 stars - A book of Pablo Neruda's poetry. 

10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2001) - 4/5 stars - Not the book I thought it was when I downloaded the audiobook, but still a fun book of Newt Scamander talking about all his magical creatures. 

11. *The Road - 4/5 stars - Highly disturbing but equally full of hope, I'm glad I stuck with this post-apocalyptic novel even though it was dark.

12. Celtic Tales - 4/5 stars - A collection of Celtic fairytales. 

13. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - 3/5 stars - The screen play. It felt like reading fanfiction, and wasn't as good as the original series.

14. Upstream - 4/5 stars - A collection of Mary Oliver's essays; enjoyable. 

15. *Quiet - 5/5 stars - An awesome nonfiction that affirms introverts in a loud, extroverted world. 

16. Hillbilly Elegy - 3/5 stars - A memoir about a man and his family in poverty-stricken Kentucky and Ohio.

17. *The Worst Hard Time - 5/5 stars - An outstanding nonfiction about the Dust Bowl.

18. The Gods of Howl Mountain - 3/5 stars - Fictional story about a guy who delivers illegal alcohol shipments during the Prohibition, his family, and the violence in back-country Appalachia. 

19. *Made Like Martha - 5/5 stars - Amazing nonfiction for the Martha in the biblical story -- the doer who needs reminding the God is sufficient. 

20. Favorite Celtic Fairytales - 3/5 stars - More Celtic fairytales. 

21. A River in Darkness - 4/5 stars - A memoir of a man who escaped from North Korea and the horrors he experienced there. 

22. Uprooted - 4/5 stars - Fantasy with Russian cultural backdrop (also a subtle retelling of Beauty and the Beast). 

23. Oryx and Crake - 3/5 stars - The weirdest dystopian story I've ever read. 

24. *Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering - 5/5 stars - Another excellent Timothy Keller book.

25. *Fruit of the Drunken Tree - 4/5 stars - A historical fiction ARC (thanks, NetGalley!) about Columbia in the 90s -- fantastic!

26. *The Bear and the Nightingale - 4.5/5 stars - LOVED this atmospheric fantasy novel steeped in Russian folklore and imagery. (Book 1 of the Winternight Trilogy)

27. The Girl in the Tower - 4/5 stars - (Book 2 of the Winternight Trilogy) Also good, but not as good as the first book in the series.

28. The Underground Railroad - 3/5 stars - Historical fiction re-imagining of slavery in the South. 

29. Neverwhere - 4/5 stars - Neil Gaiman's well-written and strange fantasy novel. Very creative.

30. *The Brownsville Butterfly - 5/5 stars - My friend's memoir about growing on in New York and Georgia and all her trials she experienced. 

31. Strong as a Mother - 4/5 stars - Nonfiction about taking care of yourself emotionally and psychologically as a mom.

32. *Once Upon a River - 5/5 stars - A stellar and very well-written magic realism story about a dead girl pronounced alive and the mystery surrounding it in rural England.

33. Maid - 4/5 stars - Memoir about a woman forced to raise her daughter in poverty as a single mom while working for a cleaning company.

34. Bittersweet - 4/5 stars - A collection of essays by Shauna Niequist about life and living through difficult times.

35. The Winter of the Witch - 4/5 stars - (Book 3 of the Winternight Trilogy) An enjoyable end to the story.

36. A Christmas Carol - 4/5 stars - Finally read this gem! (Well, my hubby read it to me, but I think that counts.)

37. Prayer - 3.5/5 stars - Another Timothy Keller book. I found it to be too intellectual for what I was looking for.

38. The Great Alone - 4/5 stars - Kristin Hannah's book about a broken family with a violent father learning to live in the cold, unforgiving land of Alaska.

I'm pleased with this year's reads, and am particular glad that I discovered that not all nonfiction is dull and sleep-inducing. I read 15 nonfiction books!

There you have it. Another year in the rear-view mirror, and another road into literary worlds ahead!

Happy reading, friends!

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

[I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]   

Release date: 1/8/19
Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Features: Romance, family, strong female main character, magic
Quotes:

"Have you never thought to believe that heaven and hell are both nearer you than you like to believe."

"There are no monsters in the world, and no saints. Only infinite shades woven into the same tapestry, light and dark. One man's monster is another man's beloved."

"Men make themselves afraid . . . Imagining is worse than anything they actually see. All it takes is whispers in the dark."

I loved the first books in the series, and couldn't wait to get my hands on the third one in Arden's Winternight Trilogy. I was elated when I finally got approved for the ARC -- thanks, NetGalley! As the third and final book in the trilogy, The Winter of the Witch picks up where the story leaves off in The Girl in the Tower. I enjoyed it greatly, and gave it 4/5 stars. I think, though, that the first book was my favorite. 

However, this book still had all the elements I enjoyed in the first two: strong female characters, magic, romance, strong family ties, Russian history and folklore, and atmospheric setting descriptions. Arden develops the characters further in The Winter of the Witch, giving more insight into their motives, desires, and abilities. I was emotionally invested in their plight, and teared up a few times. *No spoilers, promise!* I liked that this book explores the magical world where the women in Vasya's family came from, and a bunch of the fantastical creatures that live in it. 

I was a little disappointed that the book didn't explore more of the characters and their futures. Arden definitely leaves room for further stories to be written, but as this is the third book in a trilogy, I think this will be the last one. All in all, this was a fun book. Not as stellar as the first one, but still a solid four stars. 

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land

[I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]   

Release date: 1/22/19
Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Memoir/biography
Features: Single motherhood, poverty, overcoming adversity, anxiety disorder, domestic abuse
Quotes:

"I would do what parents do, what parents had done for generations--I'd make it work. There was no questioning. No other option. I was a mother now. I would honor that responsibility for the rest of my life. I got up, and on my way out, I ripped up my college application and went to work."

"When people think of food stamps they don't envision someone like me . . . Someone like the girl they'd known in high school who'd been quiet but nice. Someone like a neighbor. Someone like them. Maybe that made them too nervous about their own situation. Maybe they saw, in me, the chance of their own fragile circumstance, that, with one lost job, one divorce, they'd be in he same place as I was."


Ever since reading The Glass Castle a little over a year ago, I can't get enough of memoirs. So when this one showed up on NetGalley, I was quick to request it. I was amazed by Stephanie Land's life and the daily trials she had to endure. But perhaps most of all, I was amazed by her determination and love for her daughter, no matter what. 

Stephanie's story is intriguing because it feels close to home. She wasn't too much older than me when her life fell apart starting with an abusive relationship. Although I'm not in an abusive relationship, is struck me how very close we all are to losing everything that makes us feel secure: relationships, jobs, finances, cars, homes, etc. A few tragedies is all it takes.

I think what really stuck with me after reading this book is never assume you know what someone is going through, and never judge based on appearances. It's easy when you see that woman with children in the checkout line using food stamps to judge her choice of foods, to judge the kinds of clothes she and her kids or wearing, or make assumptions about how she got there. Don't. 

This book really opened my eyes to the need in our world. There are so many people who lack basic, everyday provisions, and I was inspired to educate myself about the need and see how I can do something about it. 

All in all, this was an excellent, enlightening book that changed how I view poverty.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

[I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]   

Release date: 12/4/18
Rating: 5/5 stars
Genre: Magical realism/fantasy/historical fiction
Features: Romance, mystery, racial prejudice, strong families, small town life/people, storytelling, folktales/legends, rural England
Quotes:

"When the moon hours lengthen . . . it is the time of magic. And as the borders between night and day stretch to their thinnest, so do the borders between worlds. Dreams and stories merge with lived experience, the dead and the living brush against each other in their coming and goings, and the past and the present touch and overlap."

"They were collectors of words . . . they kept an ear constantly alert for them, the rare, the unusual, the unique."

"In this room, in this inn, they had seen her dead and seen her alive. Unknowable, ungraspable, inexplicable, still one thing was plain: she was their story."


What happens when a wounded stranger carrying a dead girl stumbles into an ancient inn known for storytelling, and the dead girl comes back to life, all on a cold, dark, winter's solstice night? Stories and conjectures abound, as three different parties come to the forefront and claim a connection to the silent, mysterious child. Is she Lily White's dead sister, the Vaughan's lost daughter, or Robin Armstrong's abandoned child?

Of course, I can't tell you how it all resolves, but I can tell you that the book is worth every word, every sentence that leads to the climactic ending. This rich, atmospheric book is the kind of story perfect for devouring in from of a roaring fire on a snowy, winter's eve. I hadn't read anything by Diane Setterfield before this, but now I'm going to have to look up her other works -- her writing style is just exquisite.

Set during the Darwinian age of rural England, the townspeople near the Swan Inn are still very steeped in folklore and legends. Setterfield weaves in the magical, the mythical, and the physical into a beautiful story. If you're a fan of Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale, this magical, historical tale is for you.

I also adored the characters. They're unstable, lovers of stories, greedy, honest, optimistic, hardworking, and painfully good and occasionally undeserving of the way they're treated -- but most of all, they're very real. Setterfield focuses on three groups of people that lay claim to the girl and explores their sorrows, their triumphs, and their hearts, and like any masterful storyteller, she weaves it all together for the perfect ending.

I gave this one 5/5 stars. Excellent, honest characters, intriguing characters and folklore, and a seemingly unsolvable mystery had me invested from the beginning.