It’s time for my first half of November book review post! I am sharing what I read in November so far, although I am skipping my 5 star reads to share later in the month. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: Like Mother, Like Mother
Author: Susan Rieger
Genre: Contemporary / Literary
Publisher: The Dial Press, 10/29/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This somewhat literary story is about a family, beginning with Lila, whose abusive father has her mother committed and later says that she died. Later, Lila is extremely job focused as a journalist and her husband Joe does the child raising duties. Their youngest, Grace, writes a very meta book about Lila and her missing mother, Zelda. Grace’s best friend Ruth also has a role in the story.
“Detroit, 1960. Lila Pereira is two years old when her angry, abusive father has her mother committed to an asylum. Lila never sees her mother again. Three decades later, having mustered everything she has—brains, charm, talent, blond hair—Lila rises to the pinnacle of American media as the powerful, brilliant executive editor of The Washington Globe. Lila unapologetically prioritizes her career, leaving the rearing of her daughters to her generous husband, Joe. He doesn’t mind—until he does. But Grace, their youngest daughter, feels abandoned. She wishes her mother would attend PTA meetings, not White House correspondents’ dinners. As she grows up, she cannot shake her resentment. She wants out from under Lila’s shadow, yet the more she resists, the more Lila seems to shape her life. Grace becomes a successful reporter, even publishing a bestselling book about her mother. In the process of writing it, she realizes how little she knows about her own family. Did Lila’s mother, Grace’s grandmother, die in that asylum? Is refusal to look back the only way to create a future? How can you ever be yourself, Grace wonders, if you don’t know where you came from?”
I thought this was an interesting story about the role of a mother and how mothering styles can be passed along. I liked the Jewish representation in this one. I found the conversation style a bit strange, as the characters seemed to speak in a formal manner. Also, the author seemed to use question marks as if they were optional. I think if you enjoy a family saga, you will like this one.
Title: Forgive Me
Author: Susan Lewis
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Harper Audio, 1/26/21
Source: Publisher / Library Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
Waiting on my shelf to read was Forgive Me by Susan Lewis. I listened to the audio of this one. It is told through letters written by Archie as well as from various viewpoints surrounding Claudia, who has left her abusive husband with her mother and daughter and is making a new life in a new location.
“This is Claudia Winters’s last chance for a fresh start. Changing her name and leaving her old life behind, she has fled to the small town of Kesterly with her mother and daughter. Here, she hopes they can be safe for the first time in years. But the past can’t stay hidden forever. And even as Claudia makes new friends and builds a new life, she can’t help feeling it’s all about to catch up with her… Until one disastrous night changes everything forever.”
The audio was a little hard for me and I may have done better with this in print. I thought some of the time jumps were sudden. I thought part of it was a twist but it may have just been my confusion! The story deals with restorative justice, which was interesting. It includes a fire and burns, which were hard to read about.
Title: The Sunflower House
Author: Adriana Allegri
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, 11/12/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri is a historical fiction story about Allina, who is taken from her village to the Hochland Home for mothers and babies as part of the program to produce more babies for pure German families. There, Allina meets Karl, an SS Officer, and together they try to help the mistreated children at the home.
“In a sleepy German village, Allina Strauss’s life seems idyllic: she works at her uncle’s bookshop, makes strudel with her aunt, and spends weekends with her friends and fiancé. But it’s 1939, Adolf Hitler is Chancellor, and Allina’s family hides a terrifying secret―her birth mother was Jewish, making her a Mischling. One fateful night after losing everyone she loves, Allina is forced into service as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. There, she becomes both witness and participant to the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program. The Sunflower House is a meticulously-researched debut historical novel from Adriana Allegri that uncovers the notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. Women of ‘pure’ blood stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population, giving birth to thousands of babies who were adopted out to ‘good’ Nazi families. Allina must keep her Jewish identity a secret in order to survive, but when she discovers the neglect occurring within the home, she’s determined not only to save herself, but also the children in her care. A tale of one woman’s determination to resist and survive, The Sunflower House is also a love story. When Allina meets Karl, a high-ranking SS officer with secrets of his own, the two must decide how much they are willing to share with each other―and how much they can stand to risk as they join forces to save as many children as they can. The threads of this poignant and heartrending novel weave a tale of loss and love, friendship and betrayal, and the secrets we bury in order to save ourselves.”
While this was a well written story, I found it quite unrealistic. The author herself writes that as a sympathetic SS Officer, “Karl’s actions were very rare.” Also, the baby rehabilitation program that Allina and Karl work on was not something that actually existed. For Allina, who was hiding a secret Jewish background, everything seemed a little too easy. This book has been getting a lot of great reviews, so overall it is well liked!
Title: A Queen’s Game
Author: Katharine McGee
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Publisher: Random House Books For Young Readers, 11/12/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I was so excited to start a new series from Katharine McGee! This one is based on real people – real princesses and their dating lives. The three women characters, Helene, May, and Alix, are all intertwined with the men Prince Eddy, Prince George, and Nicholas, a tsar of Russia. Queen Victoria worked to create matches for her grandchildren in order to spread the power of the throne across Europe, and this is their imagined story.
“In the last glittering decade of European empires, courts, and kings, three young women are on a collision course with history—and with each other. Alix of Hesse is Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughter, so she can expect to end up with a prince . . . except that the prince she’s falling for is not the one she’s supposed to marry. Hélène d’Orléans, daughter of the exiled King of France, doesn’t mind being a former princess; it gives her more opportunity to break the rules. Like running around with the handsome, charming, and very much off-limits heir to the British throne, Prince Eddy. Then there’s May of Teck. After spending her entire life on the fringes of the royal world, May is determined to marry a prince—and not just any prince, but the future king.”
The characters plot against each other to work out their desired matches. Each has her own issues – Alix has anxiety attacks, May’s family has lost their money, and Hélène‘s has been exiled from France. There is also an American character who adds to their drama. Of course, we are left with a cliffhanger – but since these are real life people, wikipedia can provide spoilers! I enjoyed this one and will look forward to the next in the series!
Title: Travelers to Unimaginable Lands
Author: Dasha Kiper
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Books On Tape, 3/7/23
Source: Library Audio
Why I Read It: Non Fiction November / Personal Interest
My Rating: 4 Stars
In looking for a book about dementia, I came across Travelers to Unimaginable Lands by Dasha Kiper and decided to listen to it. I had hoped it would focus on various people with dementia, but instead it was more about their caregivers and why they are prone to arguments with those they care for, unable to reconcile with the changes and inabilities of their loved ones.
“Inspired by Dasha Kiper’s experience as a caregiver and counselor and informed by a breadth of cognitive and neurological research, Travelers to Unimaginable Lands dispels the myth of the perfect caregiver. In these compassionate, nonjudgmental stories of parents and children, husbands and wives, contending with dementia disorders, Kiper explores the existential dilemmas created by this disease: a man believes his wife is an impostor; a woman’s imaginary friendships with famous authors drive a wedge between her and her devoted husband; another woman’s childhood trauma emerges to torment her son; a man’s sudden, intense Catholic piety provokes his wife. Kiper explains why the caregivers are maddened by these behaviors, mirroring their patients’ irrationality, even though they’ve been told it’s the disease at work. By demystifying the neurological obstacles to caregiving, Kiper illuminates the terrible pressure dementia disorders exert on our closest relationships, offering caregivers the perspective they need to be gentler with themselves.”
While this was certainly an interesting look at the dynamic between caregivers and those they care for, it wasn’t as relevant to my personal interest as I had hoped.
Title: The Kids Are All Right
Author: Ben and Gabrielle Blair
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Workman Publishing, 10/15/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / Non Fiction November
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
The Kids Are All Right by Ben and Gabriella Blair gives parents permission to change their focus on the traditional path to success – getting good grade, getting into a good college, and becoming a successful adult. The book is meant to give alternative paths to take in order to raise kids to independence.
“Parents today are often filled with anxiety, overwhelmed with the feeling that every parenting decision carries paralyzing high stakes. The Kids Are All Right gives parents the tools to set these anxieties to the side and connect more meaningfully with their children and the actual issues they face. The book provides relatable examples and insightful frameworks to help parents approach parenting with confidence rather than reacting to cultural fears about screen time or college admissions. Gabrielle and Ben Blair are the parents of six and have been raising kids for over two decades. Through the years, they’ve charted their own unconventional path: working from home before remote work was a thing; uprooting their kids four, five, six times – including a move to France where they enrolled in local schools without knowing the language. It’s been a unique parenting journey characterized by experimentation, trial and error, decisions prompted by financial or psychological necessity, varying levels of anxiety and tension, despair, and hope. This unique path turned out to be fertile soil for growing independent, resilient, and creative kids, and a family that is genuinely close and truly enjoys each other’s company. With this book they share how they did it, and show how we can too, and in so doing, offer a heaping serving of relief. They show how to let go of tired expectations of what it means to be a good parent; how to push back against the latest moral panic; and how to come to terms with the reality that the old rules won’t necessarily apply in the future. But more than pushing back and letting go, they show what it looks like to build thriving relationships that extend beyond the first 18 years. “
With my son struggling in school right now, the concept of a change from the traditional path was meaningful to me, however they also include a chapter on how you shouldn’t necessarily expect your children to be happy. So if not happy, what should you hope for as far as your kids’ futures? Also, they write that you can’t expect your children to even want a relationship with you once they are adults! It just made me wonder what our actual goals should be. I did agree with the authors on their views on screen time. They don’t think screen time should be limited when it comes to things like education, communicating with those who are far away, etc., things which I know people also want to limit. If screen time has value, it can be worthwhile. This was certainly a unique view on parenting!
Title: What The Chicken Knows
Author: Sy Montgomery
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio, 11/5/24
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Non Fiction November
My Rating: 4 Stars
This very short book is about Sy Montgomery’s flock of chickens and how very smart they are. I did not realize Sy Montgomery is a woman until I listened to her narration of this book!
“For more than two decades, Sy Montgomery—whose The Soul of an Octopus was a National Book Award finalist—has kept a flock of chickens in her backyard. Each chicken has an individual personality (outgoing or shy, loud or quiet, reckless or cautious) and connects with Sy in her own way. In this short, delightful book, Sy takes us inside the flock and reveals all the things that make chickens such remarkable creatures: only hours after leaving the egg, they are able to walk, run, and peck; relationships are important to them and the average chicken can recognize more than one hundred other chickens; they remember the past and anticipate the future; and they communicate specific information through at least twenty-four distinct calls. Visitors to her home are astonished by all this, but for Sy what’s more astonishing is how little most people know about chickens, especially considering there are about twenty percent more chickens on earth than people.”
This book was interesting and funny and definitely made me appreciate chickens more than I had previously.
Title: Girl Gone Mad
Author: Avery Bishop
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Lake Union, 9/1/20
Source: PR Company
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 4 Stars
From my 24 in ’24 list, I read Girl Gone Mad by Avery Bishop. This thriller is about middle school mean girls who reunite as adults after news breaks that one of their group has died, followed shortly by another. Emily, now a therapist, basically abandons her clients to find out what happened to her friends and whether the girl they tortured in middle school is behind it.
“Emily Bennett works as a therapist in Pennsylvania, helping children overcome their troubled pasts―even as she struggles to forget her own. Once upon a time, Emily was part of a middle school clique called the Harpies―six popular girls who bullied the new girl to her breaking point. The Harpies took a blood oath: never tell a soul what they did to Grace Farmer. Now, fourteen years later, it seems karma has caught up to them when one member of that vicious circle commits suicide. But when a second Harpy is discovered dead shortly after, also from apparent suicide, the deaths start to look suspicious. And when Emily starts seeing a woman who looks a lot like Grace Farmer lurking in the shadows, she’s forced to wonder: Is Grace back for revenge? Or is Emily’s guilt driving her mad?”
Some of the bullying described in this book was quite upsetting. The book includes sexual abuse as well as descriptions of suicide attempts. I also found some of the plot a bit unbelievable, but it was a fast enough read and it held my interest throughout.
Title: Grace
Author: Cody Keenan
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Mariner Books, 10/4/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Cody Keenan was Obama’s speechwriter and this book describes his job during 10 days in June 2015, from the day of the white supremacist shooting in Charleston to the day that Obama gave the eulogy for the reverend killed in the church. It was also the week that the Supreme Court was ruling on whether the Affordable Care Act was constitutional and on marriage equality. I was actually in D.C. that week but being the clueless person I was then, I didn’t know that any of this was happening until the Supreme Court decision on marriage broke when I was already on the train to NJ!
“A white supremacist shooting and an astonishing act of forgiveness. A national reckoning with race and the Confederate flag. The fate of marriage equality and the Affordable Care Act. Grace is the propulsive story of ten days in June 2015, when Obama and his chief speechwriter Cody Keenan composed a series of high-stakes speeches to meet a succession of stunning developments. Through behind-the-scenes moments—from Obama’s suggestion that Keenan pour a drink, listen to some Miles Davis, and “find the silences,” to the president’s late-night writing sessions in the First Family’s residence—Keenan takes us inside the craft of speechwriting at the highest level for the most demanding of bosses, the relentlessly poetic and perfectionist Barack Obama. Grace also delivers a fascinating portrait of White House insiders like Ben Rhodes, Valerie Jarrett, Jen Psaki, and the speechwriting team responsible for pulling it all off during a furious, historic stretch of the Obama presidency—including a gifted fact-checker who took Keenan’s rhetoric to task before taking his hand in marriage. Grace is the most intimate writing that exists on the rhetorical tightrope our first Black president had to walk, culminating with an unforgettable high point: Obama stunning everybody by taking a deep breath and leading the country in a chorus of ‘Amazing Grace.'”
Reading about the collaboration between the President and his speech writer made me wonder who should be credited with quotes from high stakes speeches! This was an interesting book about the pressure on the speech writer to express the voice of the President. Reading about the way Obama spoke in Charleston made me curious about what the President said after the Pittsburgh shooting at a synagogue and I was shocked at the contrast (in that case, it was suggested that the worshipers should have had armed guards to protect themselves). This book inspires with its discussion of the ever evolving America and its goal of a more perfect union.
Title: The Ballerina of Auschwitz
Author: Edith Eva Eger
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Audio, 10/1/24
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Non Fiction November
My Rating: 4 Stars
Having heard that The Choice by Edith Eva Eger was a good read, I decided to listen to The Ballerina of Auschwitz, which is the YA version of this book. This book covers the author’s life prior to being sent to Auschwitz, her experience there, and her return home after being liberated.
“Edie is a talented dancer and a skilled gymnast with hopes of making the Olympic team. Between her rigorous training and her struggle to find her place in a family where she’s the daughter ‘with brains but no looks,’ Edie’s too busy to dwell on the state of the world. But life in Hungary in 1943 is dangerous for a Jewish girl. Just as Edie falls in love for the first time, Europe collapses into war, and Edie’s family is forced onto a train bound for the Auschwitz concentration camp. Even in those darkest of moments, Edie’s beloved, Eric, kindles hope. ‘I’ll never forget your eyes,’ he tells her through the slats of the cattle car. Auschwitz is horrifying beyond belief, yet through starvation and unthinkable terrors, dreams of Eric sustain Edie. Against all odds, Edie and her sister Magda survive, thanks to their sisterhood and sheer grit. Edie returns home filled with grief and guilt. Survival feels more like a burden than a gift—until Edie recognizes that she has a choice. She can’t change the past, but she can choose how to live and even to love again.”
As most Holocaust stories, this one was harrowing to read, including the author being told to dance for Mengele, which led to what later saved her life. The description of how she kept herself going and her ultimate choice to live was inspiring to hear.
Title: Don’t Let Me Down
Author: Kate Stollenwerck
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Iceblink Books, 10/22/24
Source: TLC Book Tours
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Don’t Let Me Down is the sequel to Hello, Goodbye, which I read last month. In this continuation, Hailey and Blake go to Israel to present about the stolen art they uncovered. I was a little taken out of the story at the description of the geography of Jerusalem, although the pair quickly heads off to Paris, and since I’ve never been there, the locations described didn’t concern me! In Paris, Hailey discovers more about her great grandfather Jack and his quest to uncover art stolen by the Nazis.
“Hailey Rogers’ life has returned to normal: hanging out with her boyfriend, Blake, training for cross-country, and slogging through the rest of Junior year. No more family secrets, hidden maps, and discoveries of Nazi-looted art. But then summer arrives, and she’s asked to share her great-grandparents’ story. While in Israel, she receives an unexpected note that upends her life. A globe-trotting adventure ensues with Blake and a cast of colorful new characters as she learns more about her mysterious great-grandfather and his gut-wrenching past. A shocking discovery will have all in the group reeling, sending Hailey back to Texas in pieces. Hailey tries to forget the past but realizes sometimes it’s too important to just let it be.”
I enjoyed the puzzles that Jack left behind and the way that Hailey worked to continue his legacy. I was sad when she seemed to give up on the task at hand. In Paris, Hailey and Blake meet Julian and his father, who help them with the quest, but illness is discovered and this story line was sad. I also had trouble keeping the older characters straight, as they are referred to by their last names. I appreciated that this book provides a look at some of the horrors of the Holocaust to younger people who may not have read about it before, though some of the descriptions are definitely hard to read.
This post includes 11 of the books I read this month. 7 were print books and 4 were on audio. 8 were adult books and 3 were YA. Genres included contemporary, thriller, historical fiction, and non fiction.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
