Happy Fall everyone! Here are a couple of reviews for the books I have recently finished…14 more to go for 2015 for my Read 50 list!!!
Coming up next on my “to-read” list I have: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee, The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory, Circling the Sun by Paula McLain and The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig.
36 ~ The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
VERY similar to All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr BUT I felt The Nightingale was better. Both novels were set in WWII German occupied France and both novels also have a strong father-daughter relationship that has been woven into the plot. Unlike Anthony Doerr’s novel, The Nightingale keeps flowing smoothly from event to event and the character development is very strong. The reader can understand the way Vianne, Isabelle and their father change over the course of their lives because of the life experiences that they have to endure. They all work through feelings of grief, fear and determination together. Each character in the novel is constantly making choices to stand up for what is right in a world where it was easy, and sometimes safest, to look the other way.
Vianne is happily married and mother of one only to have her husband quickly sent away to fight during the war. Vianne acts selflessly trying to protect her daughter, her close friends and her family home. Like many women, she defaults to routine during her everyday life to try to handle all the external events that she has no control over. She tends to her garden, cooks meals and takes care of her home while the world directly outside is falling apart. Vianne isn’t just a bystander though and eventually finds the determination to stand up for some of the things going on around her. Her closest friends are being taken away to concentration camps and having to leave behind children in need of protection and care.
Isabelle is by far my favourite character in the novel. She is intense and always speaking her mind without thinking of the repercussions.She is free to follow her impulses because she is young and unmarried. I did feel a bit heartbroken when Isabelle gets sent to a concentration camp and wish that part of the story was developed a bit more. It would have been nice if somehow Isabelle’s story had continued separately in another novel. I found myself secretly hoping throughout the book that the elderly lady was going to turn out to be Isabelle.
All in all, I WOULD definitely RECOMMEND this book to those who enjoy WWII historical fiction.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21853621-the-nightingale
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54493.Kristin_Hannah
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/38629860-adrienne-b
35 ~ The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd (Whispers on the Moor, #1)
It was just good but nothing spectacular. Amelia didn’t come across as a strong person consistently throughout the book; although she had some moments of self-determination. Her love for Lucy didn’t come across as believable enough for me, and I wish Graham’s attachment to Lucy was also more developed. As with A Lady At Willowgrove Hall, the Biblical scriptures seemed forced, almost an oversight and edited in after the rough draft was done. I agree with other reviewers in that the summary makes this book appear more promising than it is and I am left giving The Heiress of Winterwood a 3 out of 5.
34 ~ What Angel’s Fear by C. S. Harris
I think when you have read a ton of historical fiction like I have, you find this storyline a bit repetitive. I felt like I had read this story before with different names and a slightly different plot. War hero, a damsel in distress and a rogue ex-husband just about sums up the plot. I really enjoy a good historical fiction and a romance but this one just felt like the author was copying too many things from other books and there wasn’t enough uniqueness to the style of writing to make me want to read any of her other books. I was left feeling disappointed when I had looked forward to getting to this book on my “to read” list.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39149.What_Angels_Fear
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22067.C_S_Harris
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1361925748
33 ~ A Lady at Willowgrove Hall by Sarah E. Ladd (Book 3 in a 3 part series)
An easy, quick and enjoyable read but this book was also very predictable. At times I felt like the author was putting in sentiments in Cecily’s character that didn’t make sense. I also felt like the references to Proverbs and Biblical passages were forced. All that being said, I would still recommend this book for your bedside table.
Series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/86458-whispers-on-the-moors
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18588426-a-lady-at-willowgrove-hall
Read 50 Challenge ~Litldods 