The Woman of a Thousand Names by Alexandra Lapierre - Book Review

My Review:

This book tells the story of the amazing life of the well known Mata Hari.  It was very interesting to read the story of her life.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for a copy for my honest review. 4 out 5 stars

Amazon's description of the book:

From the internationally bestselling author of the “fascinating epic” (Associated Press) Between Love and Honor comes a rich, sweeping tale based on the captivating true story of the Mata Hari of Russia, featuring a beautiful aristocrat fighting for survival during the deadly upheaval of the Russian Revolution.

Born into Russian aristocracy, wealth, and security, Moura never had any reason to worry. But in the upheaval of the Bolshevik Revolution, her entire world crumbles. As her family and friends are being persecuted by Vladimir Lenin’s ruthless police, she falls into a passionate affair with British secret agent Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart. But when he’s abruptly and mysteriously deported from Russia, Moura is left alone and vulnerable.

Now, she must find new paths for her survival, even if it means shedding her past and taking on new identities. Some will praise her tenderness and undying loyalty. Others will denounce her lies. But all will agree on one point: Moura embodies Life. Life at all cost.

Set against the volatile landscape of 20th-century Russia, The Woman of a Thousand Names brings history to vivid life in a captivating tale about an extraordinary woman caught in the waves of change—with only her wits to save her.

N.

Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini - Book Review

My review:
This is the first time I have read a Historical Fiction story about Mary Todd Lincoln.  Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters is written from the sister's point of view and take us through both pre- and post-Civil war. Before reading this book I never really had an interest in Mary Todd Lincolns sisters, or what happened to Mary Todd after President Lincoln's death. However, I did not want to stop reading this book and really liked the different views of each of the sisters.  I look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Chiaverini. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book for my honest review.  5 Stars!!

Amazon.com's description of Mrs Lincolns Sisters:

In May 1875, Elizabeth Todd Edwards reels from news that her younger sister Mary, former First Lady and widow of President Abraham Lincoln, has attempted suicide. 

Mary’s shocking act followed legal proceedings arranged by her eldest and only surviving son that declared her legally insane. Although they have long been estranged, Elizabeth knows Mary’s tenuous mental health has deteriorated through decades of trauma and loss. Yet is her suicide attempt truly the impulse of a deranged mind, or the desperate act of a sane woman terrified to be committed to an asylum? And—if her sisters can put past grievances aside—is their love powerful enough to save her? 

Maternal Elizabeth, peacemaker Frances, envious Ann, and much adored Emilie had always turned to one another in times of joy and heartache, first as children, and later as young wives and mothers. But when Civil War erupted, the conflict that divided a nation shattered their family. The Todd sisters’s fates were bound to their husbands’ choices as some joined the Lincoln administration, others the Confederate Army.

Now, though discord and tragedy have strained their bonds, Elizabeth knows they must come together as sisters to help Mary in her most desperate hour. 

Finding Treasure in Community Cookbooks

Lately, I have been collecting community cookbooks.  I love a recipe that is a family favorite or  treasured because it was passed down through family members.  I can imagine the women who submitted the recipes being approached for their best recipes to be published so their organization can raise some money.  I know a lot of women find it hard to part with family recipes. 

I really love an old cookbook that has stains on a page and personal notes written.  You know a cookbook was a treasure to someone when they have an inscription written in them.

Many of the cookbooks have regional favorites and secrets to the past.  Some of the people and organizations are no longer around today.  For me, each cookbook offers an heirloom that was past on with love.  Thank you, ladies.

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate - Book Review

My review:

   I am a huge fan of Historical fiction and this book did not disappoint.  It is written in two time periods, Louisiana 1875 and Louisiana 1987.  Benny from 1987 as a new teacher trying to motivate her students to care about local history and the local plantation where Hannie was a slave back in 1875.  I could really feel Hannie's pain of losing her family and trying to find them against all the dangers that came with searching.  The actual "Lost Friends" advertisements really brought the story to life.  

  I really enjoyed reading this book.  There was so much pain in the lives of not only the slaves but also from the current owner of the Plantation. As I was reading I kept wondering how much more can Hannie endure in her search for her family. The ending was a pleasant surprise.  

  A definite five stars!  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for my advanced copy for my honest review.

Amazon.com description of this book:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a new historical novel: the dramatic story of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post–Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students’ lives.

Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away.

Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery’s end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.

Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt—until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, is suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lie the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Munroe - Book Review

My Review:

On Ocean Boulevard is a 6 book in the Book House Series. You do not have to read the other books in the series because this book stands perfectly on its own.  I really enjoyed meeting the Rutledge family and will definitely go back and read this series from the beginning just to get to know them all better.  I loved reading about Linnea and Cara  and their work with the turtles!  

  I would rate this a 5 out of 5 stars!!  Definitely a good summer/beach read. Or read it anytime you want to feel swept away by a more relaxing beautiful destination.

  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this book for my copy of an ARC book for my honest review.

NetGalley's Description:

The New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Guests returns at long last to her beloved Beach House series in this breathtaking novel about one family’s summer of forging new beginnings against the enduring beauty and resilience of the natural world.

It’s been sixteen years since Caretta “Cara” Rutledge has returned home to the beautiful shores of Charleston, South Carolina. Over those years, she has weathered the tides of deaths and births, struggles and joys. And now, as Cara prepares for her second wedding, her life is about to change yet again.

Meanwhile, the rest of the storied Rutledge family is also in flux. Cara’s niece Linnea returns to Sullivan’s Island to begin a new career and an unexpected relationship. Linnea’s parents, having survived bankruptcy, pin their hopes and futures on the construction of a new home on Ocean Boulevard. But as excitement over the house and wedding builds, a devastating illness strikes the family and brings plans to a screeching halt. It is under these trying circumstances that the Rutledge family must come together yet again to discover the enduring strength in love, tradition, and legacy from mother to daughter to granddaughter.

Like the sea turtles that come ashore annually on these windswept islands, three generations of the Rutledge family experience a season of return, rebirth, and growth. “Authentic, generous, and heartfelt” (Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author), On Ocean Boulevard is Mary Alice Monroe at her very best.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center- Book Review

My Review:

I loved the story of Samantha and Duncan.  Samantha knew Duncan from a previous job.  When Duncan becomes the new Principal at her new school,  Duncan he is no longer the carefree man she used to know.  You can feel Samantha's disappointment and heartache. I really enjoyed the way Katherine Center wrote this book. 
  This book is a 5 out of 5 stars for me.  It was a really enjoyable read with some interesting character you get to meet along the way.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an opportunity to read this book for my honest review.  I always like finding a new author to read.  I will be reading more books by Katherine Center.

Amazon.com's description:

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.
But she wasn’t always that way.
Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.
But he wasn’t always that way.

And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.

With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, WHAT YOU WISH FOR is the author at her most compelling best.

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner - book review

My Book Review:

  I enjoyed reading this book of the story of two sisters Jo and Bethie.  There was a lot of plot twists that kept it interesting. The story was written from both sisters perspective, which was interesting to see how different they viewed things. The ending almost had me in tears, which is rare.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy for my honest review. The book did exactly what I wanted it to do, keep me entertained and had me question my beliefs. I would give this 5 out of 5 stars!

Amazon.com's description of the book:

Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?

In her most ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?