Review: Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've loved every Mary Roach book I've read. They are laugh out loud funny, and you're learning too! As a fan of hiking vacations, I loved all the new information about animals who "break the law."

I read an arc provided by the publisher.

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Review: Hollywood Park

Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This memoir read like a novel and I had a hard time putting it down. It was fascinating to read, but horrifying to think that this was someone's childhood. Anyone who liked Educated will want to read this book.

I received an arc from the publisher.

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Review: The Jane Austen Society

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this. I love Jane Austen and this was an interesting look at a part of her life. There was a varied cast of characters, some I came to know more about than others. I was rooting for all of them to find happiness at the end. There were some surprises that came out of left field. Overall a good read.

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Review: A Very Punchable Face

A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew nothing about Colin Jost before reading this book, but love books that make me laugh. This book made me laugh until I cried. There were more serious parts, such as his Mother's experiences on 9/11, that were equally interesting. A good read.

I read an arc from Edelweiss.

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Review: Shook: An Earthquake, a Legendary Mountain Guide, and Everest's Deadliest Day

Shook: An Earthquake, a Legendary Mountain Guide, and Everest's Deadliest Day by Jennifer Hull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great balance of science, technical terms, and human interest. That's the kind of nonfiction I love to read.

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Review: The Last Green Valley

The Last Green Valley by Mark T. Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The First Day of Spring

The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a heartbreaking tearjerker and I loved it. I felt for Chrissie and the other children, none of who deserved what happened to them. I even cared about Chrissie's Mam, who was not a sympathetic character.

I read an advanced copy from Edelweiss.

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Review: The Book of Lost Names

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A touching story about Eva, a young woman who is separated from her family during World War II and has to rely on friends and on herself. She and her mother are separated early on from her father after he is arrested. She and her mother find refuge in a small town where Eva begins to work for the Resistance. Her mother opposes this and longs to reunite the family, which isn't possible. Even though they are together, this causes a rift between mother and daughter. In present day, Eva is brought back to those times after seeing a news report that sends her from America back to Paris.

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Review: Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved the "Martian" didn't love "Artemis" so it was nice to read another by Weir that I really enjoyed. It's based in space like the other two, but is completely different.

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Review: Paris Never Leaves You

Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There were many things to love about this book. The characters were realistic and believable. They weren't heroes, just regular people who were forced to make heartbreaking decisions during terrible times. This was an interesting perspective on World War II that I hadn't read before and the surprising twists made me want to keep reading.

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Review: A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom

A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom by Brittany K. Barnett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book highlights the very real harm that unjust sentencing laws do, not only to the black people that are burdened with ridiculous sentences but also to their families and communities. I read an advanced copy of this on Edelweiss.

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Review: Nazi Wives: The Women at the Top of Hitler's Germany

Nazi Wives: The Women at the Top of Hitler's Germany by James Wyllie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The stories of the women behind the men who committed some of the most horrifying crimes of the 20th century. The women had various backgrounds, upbringings, and beliefs. These women were expected to uphold the Nazi beliefs of motherhood and family while supporting their husbands careers, regardless of the atrocities they committed. A comprehensive and often chilling account.

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Review: The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames

The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames by Justine Cowan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very interesting look at a subject I knew nothing about - foundling hospitals. The most interesting parts were about Dorothy's experiences as a child. Less so were the author's details about her childhood. That did come together in the end though, when the author, after learning about her mother's history, was more sympathetic to why she was the way she was.

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Review: The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free

The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina Bren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an interesting history of not only the Barbizon hotel, but the many women who lived there. The Barbizon hotel represented the first step towards independence for many women. In a world where women weren't granted many freedoms, this was seen as a safe space outside of a world ruled by a woman's father or husband.

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Review: Chasing Shackleton : re-creating the world's greatest journey of survival

Chasing Shackleton : re-creating the world's greatest journey of survival by Tim Jarvis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fascinating account of a crazy expedition. It was really interesting to read about both the back story of the expedition as well as the expedition itself. I also appreciated the history of Shackleton's original expedition. As someone who really, really hates being cold, I can't imagine willingly putting myself in that situation, especially using the period clothing and equipment.

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Review: Love Like That: Stories

Love Like That: Stories by Emma Duffy-Comparone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A solid collection of stories. This is her debut collection and I look forward to reading more by this author.

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Send for My by Lauren Fox

Send for Me by Lauren Fox - 5 Stars There are many WWII fiction books out there, some more interesting and well written than others. One thing I liked about this book was that the characters weren't perfect. They weren't always nice, they sometimes had unkind thoughts. Sometimes with WWII fiction, the characters are all good and somewhat one-dimensional in that respect.