Do you like to read seasonally? At this time of year, I enjoy reading books about the holiday season, as well as moody, atmospheric winter stories. If that sounds up your alley, then I have a great list of Christmas and winter reads that you should pick up this holiday season!
The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff ~ 336 pages ~ to be published 5/4/2021 by Park Row
1942. Sadie Gault is eighteen and living with her parents amid the horrors of the Kraków Ghetto during World War II. When the Nazis liquidate the ghetto, Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to seek refuge in the perilous sewers beneath the city. One day Sadie looks up through a grate and sees a girl about her own age buying flowers.
Ella Stepanek is an affluent Polish girl living a life of relative ease with her stepmother, who has developed close alliances with the occupying Germans. Scorned by her friends and longing for her fiancé, who has gone off to war, Ella wanders Kraków restlessly. While on an errand in the market, she catches a glimpse of something moving beneath a grate in the street. Upon closer inspection, she realizes it’s a girl hiding.
Ella begins to aid Sadie and the two become close, but as the dangers of the war worsen, their lives are set on a collision course that will test them in the face of overwhelming odds. Inspired by harrowing true stories, The Woman with the Blue Star is an emotional testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive.
Continue reading “Book Review: The Woman with the Blue Star (Blog Tour)”
This month I read a total of 12 books! I was a bit distracted by video games this month, so my number isn’t as high as my previous months. It is still a lot though, so I am satisfied 🙂
While I am aiming for 150 books this year, I am also aiming to diversify my reading. I am trying to break into genres I don’t typically gravitate toward. I am hoping to read more non-fiction and classics. And, as always, I am taking part in several reading challenges.
Let’s get into it!
We all know that it is exciting to find a great series that you can get into, in large part because you can then dive into that world over the course of multiple books. But, what about fantastic stand-alones? I personally love a great stand-alone since I can get a complete story in one go. Sometimes you don’t want to invest all of your reading time into a long series. This is where stand-alones are the perfect thing to pick up!
Here are some of my favorite stand-alone novels!
Continue reading “My Favorite Stand-Alone Novels”
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles ~ 368 pages ~ to be published February 9, 2021 by Atria Books (Simon & Schuster)
Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together, perfect for fans of The Lilac Girls and The Paris Wife.
Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.
Continue reading “Book Review: The Paris Library”
Hello everyone! This month was a little bit slower for me, and I ended up with a total of 8 books.
I’m going to try to do things slightly differently this year. I am going to keep y’all updated on how my various book challenges are going in each of my monthly wrap-ups.
Let’s get into it! Continue reading “Monthly Wrap-Up: March 2020”
Whit Reads Lit 