Sunday Skim

Week of 1/29/2023:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

I am always hesitant when a book comes with a lot of buzz but let me tell you Lessons in Chemistry definitely lives up to the hype. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook and highly recommend it. 

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone blew me away. I truly didn't know what to expect and it was delightful but it does deal with some heavy subject. 

Monthly Rewind: January 2023

 

* Denotes Audiobooks

* The Violin Conspiracy - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The House in the Pines - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Sweet Spot - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

* Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the Event of Death - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Liar, Dreamer, Thief - ⭐⭐⭐

Do I Know You - ⭐⭐⭐

Julie's Review: Code Name Sapphire

Author: Pam Jenoff
Series: None
Publication Date: February 7, 2023
Publisher: Park Row
Pages: 328
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Brave women change the world
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: 1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind. Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Mateo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves? Inspired by incredible true stories of courage and sacrifice, Code Name Sapphire is a powerful novel about love, family and the unshakable resilience of women in even the hardest of times. ~amazon.com

Review:  Pam Jenoff has done it again with Code Name Sapphire.  This is a book that is a slow burn, it builds steadily to the moment where everything changes. Hannah and Lily are cousins who grew up joining each other for summers with their families. Over the years though they hadn't spoken much, and each gone their own way.  As Hannah needs a place to stay during the war, she goes to Lily in Brussels. This decision will change the course of their lives in the very near future. 

I loved that we got both Lily, Hannah and Micheline's POVs throughout the book: otherwise, I'm not sure it would have been the same story. All 3 of these women are brave but it takes Lily the longest to find her voice and her action. There were definitely times when Lily got on my nerves but in the end she redeemed herself. Micheline makes her life be about the rescue downed airmen but she ends up giving up her life to save a family that isn't hers. 

Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres and I love author notes about the real situation/person that inspired their story. This one has a fantastic background, and the ending of the book is something I will think about for a long time. 

Sunday Skim

Week of 1/22/2023:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

It was a great week for some reading but January is the longest month of the year especially when we've had like 8 hours of sun in the month!! Yes, yes I can move but not while my kids are in high school. Plus it makes Spring and Summer that much better. 

Julie's Review: In the Event of Death

Author: Kimberly Young
Series: None
Publication Date:  February 14, 2023
Publisher: Post Hill Press
Pages: 320
Obtained: Emi Battaglia Public Relations
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Life is all about adapting and changing
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: When the Recession crushes their splashy event business in Silicon Valley, Liz Becker and Gabbi Rossi realize that parties are on hold—but funerals must go on. Planning a memorial with flowers, music, and food isn’t that different from a wedding, right? But Liz has had a crippling fear of death since losing her younger sister in a childhood tragedy. Knowing her husband and twin sons depend on her income, she reluctantly agrees to produce end-of-life events. As Gabbi promised, the money starts rolling in. When an old real estate tycoon hires them to plan his “after party,” Liz finds an unlikely mentor. Just as things are looking up, she learns that someone she loves has a serious illness. Death planning gets personal. ~amazon.com 

Review: When the booming economy collapses and your income depends on it; how do you pivot? For Liz and Gabbi, they find a niche in planning end of life celebrations. Except it’s not so easy for Liz given her personal experience with death but she has no choice since her husband's contracting work has all but come to a halt. Plus their bottom line is looking pretty grim. She understands the need for revenue but really is struggling with this idea. Gabbi, on the other hand, jumps in with both feet and goes for it with gusto. It's a good thing that they are each good at what they do: Gabbi with the marketing and selling; Liz with everything else. 

What amazes Liz is that Gabbi isn't wrong, there is a market for this where older people want to have a say in the planning of their end of life celebrations. Instead of these functions being dreary, most want something more upbeat. One of their clients wants them to help him downsize and figure out a way to reconcile with his children. An ask that will not be easy. 

I liked that this was set during the economic downturn of 2008 because it’s something we all can relate to since it’s more recent history. It also forces Liz to confront her past in order to make a living. Ms. Young deals with a variety of issues in the novel including mental health and marital stress. She handles all the sensitive subjects with a real touch but it’s not too heavy handed.

I definitely look forward to what she’ll write in the future.

Sunday Skim

Week of 1/15/2023:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

I really enjoyed Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and can see why it was on a lot of top reads for 2022.