WWII

As part of #NonficNov, I'm sharing nonfiction and fiction books that pair well together.

THE PARIS ORPHAN By: Natasha Lester Published: September 3, 2019 Publisher: Forever/Hachette Book Group Historical Fiction My book club received copies of this book as part of the GalleyMatch with The Bookclub Cookbook. We chose this as our August/September read and spent the day junk/antique shopping and eating at a small-town pub, where we discussed…

A monthly round-up of mini reviews featuring books I read for my own enjoyment.

THE LOST FAMILY By: Jenna Blum Published: June 5, 2018 Publisher: Harper Fiction/Historical Fiction   Heartache, even decades later, can still feel like it just happened yesterday. Even though Peter survived WWII and brutal treatment by the Nazis, his wife and twin toddler daughters did not. He came to America to start over and as…

I’m trying to read more books that I choose for my own reading enjoyment. Not for review, but because I’ve been wanting to read them or they caught my attention. Most of them have been talked about ad nauseam or have been on my to-read list for a long time so they don’t really need…

STARS OVER CLEAR LAKE A Novel By: Loretta Ellsworth Published: May 2, 2017 Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Fiction/Historical Fiction Most of the WWII stories I read are set in Europe with a few set in the US, but usually on the coast. What grabbed my attention about this particular WWII novel was that it was…

THE ORPHAN’S TALE By: Pam Jenoff Published: February 21, 2017 Publisher: MIRA Fiction/Historical Fiction I first became a fan of Pam Jenoff when I read one of her short stories in the compilation, GRAND CENTRAL: Original Stories of Post-War Love and Reunion. She is also known for several other books set during war- time. Her…

TRIUMPH OVER DESTINY By: Peladija Woodson-Diers Published: December 2, 2014 Publisher: Peladija Woodson-Diers Non-Fiction/Biography Sunday my review and author interview of TRIUMPH OVER DESTINY were featured in the Cedar Rapids Gazette’s “Sunday Insights and Books” section. To see it there, click HERE. The following is my full review and interview with the author. She has…

MY MOTHER’S SECRET J. L. Witterick Published: September 2, 2014 (reprint) Publisher: Berkley Trade Paperback Fiction/Historical Fiction Every time I read a story based on the Holocaust, I am riveted and in awe of the horrific acts perpetrated on the Jewish people. Every story I have read has left me distraught but also so grateful…

GRAND CENTRAL Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion By: Melanie Benjamin, Jenna Blum, Amanda Hodgkinson, Pam Jenoff, Sarah Jio, Sarah McCoy, Kristina McMorris, Alyson Richman, Erika Robuck, and Karen White Published: July 1, 2014 Publisher:  Berkley Trade – Penguin Group Fiction/Short Stories/Historical Fiction Last year Grand Central Station turned 100 years old. This drew…