ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr

June 30, 2014

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This is the story of a blind French girl and a mathematically inclined German boy in World War II occupied France, and it is one of the most beautifully written and memorable novels that I’ve read in a long time.

I heard about it through Library Reads, it was one of the top ten picks for May. I have found some terrific books through this list of librarian favorites, and I urge you to check it out.

Marie Laure goes blind when she’s six years old. She lives with her father in Paris near the museum where he is a locksmith. He builds her a minature village to scale of their neighborhood and teaches her to navigate on her own. But when the Germans invade Paris, they flee to Saint-Malo to stay with Marie Laure’s uncle, who is a severe agoraphobic. He has a multi-story home on the sea that he shares with a housekeeper/caretaker.

Meanwhile Werner is a 14 year old boy living with his sister in an orphanage in Germany. He is selected to test for engineering school, where he excels. But school under the Third Reich is difficult for Werner. His best friend is a gentle soul and he knows nothing good can come of that in the land of Hitler Youth. Werner is eventually sent out to hunt down illegal transmitters, and that is how he spends the last few years of  his childhood, and the war.

Marie Laure is growing up, and grows very close to both the housekeeper and her uncle. When her father goes missing, they care for her. Eventually Saint-Malo becomes a closed city, and life is very difficult for those still living there. Food, even water, are scarce and freedom becomes a thing of the past.

Werner’s and Marie Laure’s stories ebb and flow, moving back and forth in time and place until inevitably they meet. The war is their backdrop, but the book, surprisingly, is about the kindness people can show one another, even in extraodinarily difficult times.

Reading groups will love this as universal themes of love, war, deception, loyalty, impairments and more will offer great fodder for discussion. Most of the chapters are extremely short, and even though it is a highly descriptive novel, the story moves and is quite gripping, I couldn’t put it down.

All the Light We Cannot See is one of my favorite books so far this year.

6/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr. Scribner; First Edition edition (May 6, 2014). ISBN 978-1476746586. 544p.

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ANY DUCHESS WILL DO by Tessa Dare

May 28, 2014

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Spindle Cove (Book 4)

Pauline Simms is a serving girl in Spindle Cove, AKA “Spinsters Cove”, vacation spot for unmarried women looking for a husband. Pauline has no illusions about her life; she takes care of her challenged sister, works hard, and hopes to one day have her own bookshop. Then she meets Griffin York, the Duke of Halford.

The Duchess of Halford, Griff’s mother, has dragged her son off to Spindle Cove to find a wife. He has no interest, and decides to teach his interfering mother a lesson. She demands he picks a woman, any woman, at the tavern, and she will train her to become a duchess. Of course he chooses Pauline.

The Duchess abides by her bargain and the Duke makes a deal with the serving girl; she must submit to a week of Duchess training by his mother, and fail miserably. He will pay her enough money to move out of her father’s house and open her own bookshop.

The Duchess is nobody’s fool and even she can see that there is an attraction between her son and Pauline, but neither of them will admit to it. Shades of “My Fair Lady” run throughout, along with some light humor and some interesting sex, including a bit of S&M.

This is a well written historical, sexy romance, and a really fun read.

5/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ANY DUCHESS WILL DO by Tessa Dare. Avon (May 28, 2013). ISBN 978-0062240125. 384p.

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SEKRET by Lindsay Smith

May 25, 2014

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An empty mind is a safe mind.

Yulia has a gift: with just a touch she can see the history of an object or a person. It’s this gift that a secret branch of the KGB hopes to use to their advantage in 1963 USSR.

The country is in the midst of the Space Race and convinced that the Americans have spies within the Russian program. Yulia and her fellow comrades – other teens who share similar abilities – are tasked with various tests and ops to advance the country’s efforts. But Yulia has no desire to help the KGB, especially considering she’s basically a hostage with her mother and brother being used as bait to keep her in the program. The temptation to escape is overwhelming but the punishment linked to such an attempt may not be worth it.

Sekret is a fabulous debut. Smith incorporates real history into the tale, including the Space Race, the Kennedy assassination, and bits about Russia’s move into Communism (and the results). And of course there’s the psychic spy aspect as well. (I especially appreciated the author’s note in the end outlining much of the factual basis for the book.)

The characters and setting are built wonderfully and the paranormal aspects aren’t too overwhelming for readers who may not normally gravitate to that kind of subject.

Sekret is an intense and quick read with great cross over appeal for adults.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

SEKRET by Lindsay Smith. Roaring Brook Press (April 1, 2014). ISBN 978-1596438927. 352p.

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THE SILENT WIFE by A.S.A. Harrison

May 24, 2014

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For years Jodi has endured her husband’s philandering in silence. She knows, after all, that he’ll always come home to her. Which is not to say that Jodi doesn’t get her revenge – she punishes Todd in little, almost insignificant ways. It makes her feel better. But when Todd’s latest affair leads to their separation, Jodi begins to lose it.

Given the comparisons to Gone Girl and all the hype around A.S.A. Harrison’s first and only release (she sadly passed away last year), I had high expectations in going into The Silent Wife. But not far into it, I was set to write this one off as something that just wasn’t my cup of tea. Fortunately for me I did stick it out to the end – and oh, what an end it was.

Todd and Jodi are both pretty equally unlikable. I found it hard to sympathize with either of them given their natures. A.S.A. Harrison actually does a pretty phenomenal job in that regard, as I’m certain the reader isn’t really supposed to like either of them. To say much more would be to give too much away and I wouldn’t want to spoil this one for anyone. I will say that fans of Gillian Flynn will likely enjoy The Silent Wife and I would also add that if you’re like me and waffling at the start, do stick it out to the end.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

THE SILENT WIFE by A.S.A. Harrison. Penguin Books (June 25, 2013). ISBN 978-0143123231. 326p.

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THE THREE EMPERORS by William Dietrich

May 11, 2014

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An Ethan Gage Adventure

Dietrich continues his series of novels about the adventures of Ethan Gage traveling the world and encountering the French emperor Napoleon at various periods of the great man’s military feats.

After a quick witted escape from death at the naval battle of Trafalgar, Gage sets out to find and rescue his wife Astiza and son Harry, who have fled to avoid capture and fallen into the hands of a ruthless mystic. The mystic lusts after Astiza and to keep him away from his mother, Harry manages to disfigure him by hurling acid at his face.

The pair escape retribution by indicating that Astiza, through her skills in alchemy, will be able to turn base material into gold, and help the mystic find a fabled automaton rumored to be able to tell the future. Astiza manages to keep her unwanted suitor at bay by her experiments, promising to comply with his demands until Ethan finally reaches her and his son.

En route to find his family, Ethan is drafted into the French army and is forced to take part in the battle of Austerlitz, thought to be Napoleon’s greatest victory. He survives the fighting and manages to flee the army with the help of a Jewish soldier and continues on the journey looking for Astiza.

Dietrich delves into the metaphysics of the period when describing the search for a grave containing the automaton as well as the body of the man that created it. It is a departure for the author but well done in terms of making the story better and could have been accomplished by the skills of the period if the imagination was available. It is certain that Dietrich will continue with the characters created in this series, and there are many possibilities still open for their adventures. The research into the early 1800s, Napoleon’s time frame of action, is evident and while literary license is used in many aspects of the novels, the main events are well delineated for the reader.

5/14 Paul Lane

THE THREE EMPERORS by William Dietrich. Harper (May 6, 2014). ISBN 978-0062194107. 384p.

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THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X by Eloisa James

April 28, 2014

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Desperate Duchesses

Eloisa James has become my favorite romance writer. She does historicals, this one set in 1799 England.

Thorn Dautry is the bastard son of a Duke, and grew up on the streets until he was taken in by the Duke and his stepmother. It is time for him to marry, but despite his power and wealth, his parentage is a burden.

He meets LaLa, an exquisitely beautiful, sweet young society woman whose father has some financial troubles. He decided she is exactly what he wants in a wife, and needs to win over her snobby mother to make his case.

He purchases a country home in hopes of impressing LaLa and her family, but it is in serious disrepair so he hires the famous Lady Xenobia India St. Claire, daughter of a deceased marquess, who solves all decorating and servant problems. But she has never taken on an entire house before, especially one with a three week deadline. She decides this will be her retirement project, because she has earned enough money for a substantial dowry and it is time for her to marry.

India is a bright, independent woman and she and Thorn butt heads regularly. But he is intrigued by her, and in working together to fix up his home they fall in love – but neither will admit to it. She’s convinced he is madly in love with LaLa, and he thinks LaLa is the type of wife he needs and tells himself that India is just a friend.

Their letters back and forth about the work on the house add an additional layer to this already multi-layered story. James excels at creating believably complex, well developed characters and richly imagined stories. People magazine said, “Romance writing does not get much better than this,” and I agree.

4/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X by Eloisa James. Avon (March 25, 2014). ISBN 978-0062223890. 400p.

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THE SECRET OF MAGIC by Deborah Johnson

March 10, 2014


Regina Robichard is a young, idealistic black lawyer working for the NAACP and her mentor/boss, Thurgood Marshall shortly after the end of World War II. Marshall receives a lot of mail, but one letter in particular touches Regina.

One of her favorite childhood authors, M.P. Calhoun, has written to ask Marshall to investigate the death of a young black soldier on his way home from the war to small town Revere, Mississippi. Enclosed is a photo of the young man with his father, and Regina latches on to it as a talisman, determined to find justice in the deep South.

Regina has her own interesting history. She never knew her father, he was lynched before she was born and her mother became a political activist. But she remembers with great fondness the book she read and reread as a child, “The Secret of Magic,” a tale of murder and a magical forest.

Living in New York City does not really prepare her for life in rural Mississippi and how blacks are treated. But Regina perseveres, despite threats, another murder and a vicious attack in her quest for fair treatment for a minority many Mississippians still feel they own.

This is fast reading that tugs at the heart with reminders of how much things have changed, and how much maybe they haven’t. My love affair with Amy Einhorn books continues.

3/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SECRET OF MAGIC by Deborah Johnson. Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam; First Edition edition (January 21, 2014). ISBN 978-0399157721. 416p.

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THE GODS OF HEAVENLY PUNISHMENT by Jennifer Cody Epstein

February 15, 2014


On March 9-10 of 1945, the US military firebombed the city of Tokyo in what is said to be one of the most deadly air raids in history. For the people involved and the people affected, this event is understandably recalled in vastly differing ways. In her latest, Jennifer Cody Epstein illustrates this night in history, as well as the years leading up to and following the event, from the viewpoints of a handful of very different characters.

Yoshi Kobayashi has been raised loyal to her family and her country. Her father, the top builder at a firm owned by an American, is later involved in the establishment of a Manchurian colony, a site that will see more death than any imagined. Anton Reynolds was impressed by Tokyo so much so that after apprenticing under Frank Lloyd Wright on the building of the Imperial Hotel, he started his own firm in Tokyo. He and his family would remain in the city until war forced them out. Sadly Reynolds’s love for the city he once called home will fuel a weapon to be used against the Japanese while Kenji’s loyalty to his country will place his family in the crosshairs of this deadly campaign. Meanwhile, new pilot Cameron Richards dreams of a life with his new wife and child, a life that relies on his survival in an important mission.

While The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is overall a story of the firebombing of Japan, Epstein tells it in such a way that it almost reads as a collection of individual pieces connected by a common focus. Each section does tie nicely into the next, with each of the characters ultimately proving to be connected to one another in some way.

All in all, it’s a harrowing look at war from as many sides as you can imagine—those involved directly and indirectly, those who were at the center of the event, and those who were on the other side of the world waiting to hear the outcome. It’s a book filled with loss and horror but one also filled with hope.

2/14 Becky Lejeune

THE GODS OF HEAVENLY PUNISHMENT by Jennifer Cody Epstein. W. W. Norton & Company (January 13, 2014). ISBN 978-0393347883. 400p.

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THE HIGHLANDER’S DESIRE by Margo Maguire

February 9, 2014

Lachann MacMillan had his heart broken when his affianced, Fiona, weds Cullen Macauley a few days before their planned nuptials. He is determined to never risk his heart again.

His family lands were attacked by pirates and they lost some men, so Lachann is trying to find a way to protect them and he does. The Isle of Kilgorra is in the perfect place to protect his homeland, all he has to do is marry the laird’s daughter and take over. Rumor has it she’s very plain, but that works for him, he doesn’t want to ever fall in love again.

He arranges everything by mail then takes his men and sails to Kilgorra. To his surprise, Cullen Macauley is already there, and seems pretty cosy with the laird’s daughter. It seems Fiona has passed away rather unexpectedly. But when Lachann meets Anna, a servant in the house, they both can’t fight the chemistry.

Every year on Super Bowl Sunday I read a romance novel and this year I raced through this one. The game was pretty bad (the Seattle Seahawks completely dominated from their record setting 2 point safety one minute into the game) so it was easy to read. I enjoyed this and will look for more from this new-to-me author.

02/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE HIGHLANDER’S DESIRE by Margo Maguire. Avon (July 30, 2013). ISBN 978-0062122902. 384p.

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A STAR FOR MRS. BLAKE by April Smith

February 6, 2014


I am familiar with April Smith and her Ana Grey F.B.I. thrillers, and they are excellent. A Star for Mrs. Blake is quite the departure from her series, but I think it is her finest book.

Cora Blake is a widow from a tiny island in Maine who loses her son during World War I. At sixteen, he lied about his age and joined the army, like a lot of young men did back then. Sadly, he gave his life for his country, and Mrs. Blake became a Gold Star Mother, joining the ranks of thousands of other mothers who also lost their sons to war.

The United States government inquires whether she wants his remains returned or buried where he died, and she chooses the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. A few years later, Congress passes legislation to fund the transportation of the Gold Star Mothers to their sons’ graves in Europe, and Mrs. Blake receives an invitation. Several thousand Gold Star Mothers made the journey, and this beautifully written novel is about this little known slice of history set during the Depression.

Smith makes it personal by creating a small group of women and telling their stories. They travel first class with an army officer as chaperone, and a nurse, both of whom have interesting back stories. The group also includes a Boston society woman, heir to a railroad fortune, poor Jewish and Irish immigrants, and a woman who, they are warned, is a recent release from an insane asylum. This group quickly becomes a rather dysfunctional family, helping each other, fighting with each other, but at heart always knowing that they share a terrible loss.

Part history lesson, part travelogue, but fully wonderful, Smith says she’s been wanting to write this story for twenty-five years, and I’m really glad she finally got her way. Despite the seriousness of the subject, there is some humor and the book never becomes maudlin. The characters move the story along, and it is a fast read. Book groups especially will love this. If you liked The Postmistress by Sarah Blake or Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull, you will probably like this one too – and if you haven’t read either of those, do yourself a favor and add them to your to-be-read list.

I had never heard of Gold Star Mothers group, but they are still active. Loss is, of course, no longer limited to just sons; those who have lost daughters are also eligible. For more information on Gold Star Mothers, please visit www.goldstarmoms.com

02/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A STAR FOR MRS. BLAKE  by April Smith.  Knopf (January 14, 2014). ISBN 978-0307958846. 352p.

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