Books, Books, Books, and a Cat

  The Rumor Game is set in Boston during WWII and explores what was going on with Americans as many were divided about the U.S. becoming involved with the war.  This novel is told from two different points of view.  One is that of an FBI agent and the other of an idealistic young journalist who wants to stop the antisemitic and other hateful rumors targeting marginalized groups.  The story revolved around Anne and Devon trying to discover what was really going on in Boston  as pamphlets and then ultimately a murder begins to show some serious crime is happening and the local cops are doing nothing about it.   This book had some good moments but ultimately wasn't for me.  I did like Anne, who was a strong female character but Devon, the FBI agent was a little off putting to me.  I wanted more connection between these two characters.   This book was well written and did move along but it felt like more of a true crime novel than a thriller...

  Enjoy the ride! This was a wonderful contemporary, romance novel.  I loved every minute of it.  Sasha is overworked and losing it.  She gets pushed to the brink and has to take some time off to regain her sanity.  She ends up going to the coast where she used to vacation as a child.  While there she attempts to find wellness but ends up meeting someone who pushes her buttons, Finn.  Finn himself is also overworked and has retreated to the seaside to deal with his work issues.  What follows  is a laugh out loud novel with fantastic characters. I think this is a must read for anyone looking for a little romance, some laughs, and a great story that will touch your heartstrings.  

 As a history major I did not love learning about the Vietnam War.  This book however changed my opinion.  Frances "Frankie" wants to be a hero just like her brother who is headed off to Vietnam.  She wants more than what her parents expect of her; marriage and kids.  Frankie signs up with the army to become a nurse in the war.  She is thrown into a trial by fire situation. The novel follows her life as she saves lives, finds romance, and then needs to find out how to save herself.   I loved that this book focused on the role women had in the Vietnam War.  So often women are overlooked or forgotten about in history.  This was an excellent story as well as giving some great historic background.  I learned so much and really cared about what happened to Frankie.  I highly recommend this fantastic historical fiction novel! Another great book by Kristin Hannah!

  A murder mystery set in high fantasy.  There were many elements that I enjoyed in this novel.  The main character, Din was extremely resourceful considering that he had some limitations.  I also loved his investigator.  She was a unique person.  I did however get lost in parts.  I did find some of the names, places, and occupations a little confusing.  There were a lot of different people to follow.  I think this was more of my fault though and there were times that I was just not as focused. The murder in the novel was very unusual and I liked finding all the different connections made along the way.  Overall, not a bad mystery but there is a lot to keep track of in the novel. 

Excellent epic fantasy novel!  What I liked most about this novel were the characters.  Wulfric is an underdog.  He is the son of First Warrior who commands all of the respect in the village.  However Wulfric is anything but a warrior.  The only thing Wulfric really has going for him is his friendship with Adalhaid.  It is not until her safety is threatened that Wulfric begins to come into his own.  I found myself caring deeply about what was going to happen to these two.   The novel gives you multiple perspectives which I really enjoyed as it helped me understand their motives more.  I also really liked that it was a coming of age novel so I felt like I could really connect with Wulfric as he grew into an adult.  The magical aspect was interesting and I am excited to see where that will go in the next novel.   This is an action packed novel filled with magic, a touch of romance, and lots of adventure.  A must read fo...

  like this are so important to read.  This novel is fiction but events like what took place in this novel absolutely happened in the past.  This is a novel for anyone who likes a good historical mystery.  It is also a novel that points out just how difficult life has been for women in the past.   Petra, is a spinster.  She had been engaged to be married but her fiance died a tragic death.  Petra considered him the love of her life and has not wanted to remarry.  Due to her desire not to remarry, Petra is seen as unusual and there are several men who want to put her in her place.  There are disappearing women and a murder that Petra is determined to find out what is really happening. There was lots of action and even a hint of romance.  A good read for anyone who wants to get sent back in the past with a strong heroine. 

A fantastic page turning time travel, historical fiction, romance and mystery novel!! There is so much to this novel that I did not want to stop reading.  I have read all of the books in the series and this was one of my favorites.  This novel follows Portia, the middle sister, as she attempts to find her youngest sister in the eighteenth century.  Portia goes through the time stitch and promptly lands herself into danger.  She is held up by highway men while traveling to find her sister.  Then she ends up helping the men who were attempting to rob her when one of them gets injured.  Unable to find her sister she ends up staying with the highway men who are definitely more than meets the eye.   I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed this book. It is the fourth in the series but I do think you could enjoy this book as a standalone.  The author does give a forward that helps explain what has happened in the previous books.  There was s...

  a cup of hot chocolate and be prepared to thank your lucky stars that you are not stranded on the side of a mountain in a horrible winter storm.  "North of Nowhere" is a fast paced thriller set in the rugged winter landscape of Montana.  Sixteen year old Kristen and her deaf younger brother Ryan are on the run from their biological father.  Their family is dangerous and involved in shady business.  Kristen and Ryan left 5 years ago after their mother was killed with a trusted family friend.  They have been on the run until their father finally caught up with them.  Now after trying to run away they have to use all their skills to survive in brutal conditions.   The novel was filled with excellent action and the reader was left guessing as to what would happen.  The chapters switched to different character points of views so there were cliff hangers which made me want to keep reading.  I thought this was an excellent thriller!!...

  This was one of the best books I have read this year!  I have absolutely fallen in love with this series and I hope there will be many more books to come.  This is the second book in the series and I would recommend reading the first book, "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries," before reading this novel.   This books is extremely unique in that it has a blend of so many different elements.  It takes place in the early 1900s yet the world is not quite like ours because people know that the fae exist.  Women also have more equality and rights in this world. Emily is a professor and scholar of faerie and has dedicated her life to studying them.  Not only does she study them but one of them is her friend, partner, and love interest, Wendell.   In this novel, Wendell, a faerie royal who has been hiding in the mortal world for ten years after his step mother took his rightful throne is trying to find his door back to his kingdom.  Hi...

Viking's Captive was a steamy time travel romance set in the 8th century in Norway. Donna is an attorney who works to secure women's rights in present day New York City. At a trial she sees an ex who burned her in the past and caused her to swear off any man that might take advantage of women. Before the trial begins a woman gives her a spindle and she finds herself transported to the time of Vikings. There she meets Sigurd the jarl of his community and he also dismisses women as being weak and distrustful. These two are an unlikely pair but we end up with an action packed novel with lots of romance. This novel is part of a series and I had not read the other books. It did not diminish my enjoyment of the novel. The novel was also a very quick read. There were times when I did find Sigurd an overbearing male and I wanted Donna to smack him over the head. I read a lot of historical fiction and I think the author did a great job with the time period. It was easy to visualize. Ove...