Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington by Ted Widmer

 

Title:  Lincoln on the Verge:  Thirteen Days to Washington

Author:  Ted Widmer

Narrated by:  Fred Sanders, Ted Widmer

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 16 hours and 53 minutes

Source: Thank you @simon.audio for the audiobook version and #LincolnOnTheVerge #HistoryBuffsBookClub @History_In_Five for the physical book review copy.

What is your favorite, book, movie, or show that features Abraham Lincoln? I loved the movie Lincoln starring Daniel Day Lewis.

The United States was at a crossroads when Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election in 1860.  Southerners had vowed that his inauguration would never take place.  Lincoln boards a train to Washington DC and over the next thirteen days, he wows crowds, while also trying to foil assassination attempts.  How did he make it safely to Washington DC?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This was a truly fascinating book.  I really liked how the reader received a full snapshot of what life was like at this moment in history and through these perilous times.

·       At this point in time, democracy was on the verge of ending as it had ended in so many places before like Greece and Rome.

·       This book provided good overview of history and everything happening at that time.  I also loved the history of the cities as he traveled through them such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, etc.

·       Railroad and telegraph were transforming the nation and how information was disseminated at the time.

·       Dorothea Dix had traveled through the south and had details of a conspiracy to kill Lincoln as he traveled to DC for his inauguration.  The South would rather declare their own nation.

·       Kate Warne was a female spy who played an unsung role (like Doreathea Dix) on protecting Lincoln on the way to his inauguration.

·       Civil engineers were discussed such as who designed the bridges and tunnels for the railroad.

·       There was a sad discussion included of a real-life enslaved woman who killed her own child rather than have the child be captured and enslaved just like what happened in the fictional Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

·       The end of the book also goes through Lincoln’s train journey back to Springfield after his assassination.

·       The audiobook that had good narrator and it was very interesting to listen to. 

·       This new paperback version had a great preface by Liz Cheney on the importance of this book and of Abraham Lincoln.

·       There is a great notes section at the end of the physical book.

·       The physical book also has interesting pictures inserted throughout the text.

Overall, Lincoln on the Verge by Ted Widmer is a great history nonfiction book that tells not only the story of the perilous journey Abraham Lincoln took through America to his inauguration, but also the story of America at that time and the fight to keep our democracy.

The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanne M. White (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

If you could save one book from being burned, which book would you pick?

German expatriate authors gathered in Paris after Nazis started to burn books in Germany.  They opened a library that has collected together all of the banned books on the Nazis list.  When the Germans enter Paris, Christian Bauer, a former literature professor that has been drafted by the Nazis is sent to close the library of banned books and to relocate France’s other libraries.  Once there he meets Corinne Bastien, a professor and patron of the library who has been using it to help to spread these forbidden ideas.  What will happen to the library?  Will Christian be able to protect the literature that he secretly loves?  Will love blossom between the two?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I thought this was an interesting look into an aspect of WWII that I have always found disturbing, the burning of books and limitations put on the spreading of ideas.

·       I enjoyed both the characters of Christian and Corinne.  I loved their banter and witty conversations about literature.

·       Everyone seems confused that Corinne is a professor.  They think she looks younger than she is.  The Nazis tell her she should be trying to get married and having children.  They also say that this type of job should be left to the men. Unfortunately, this rhetoric seems prevalent still to this day.

·       This novel expressed the importance of books and ideas.  If you feel you need to suppress ideas and books in order to control people, what does that say about your ideology?  We’ve seen a rise in book banning over the last few years in the United States and is concerning.

·       This book did make me ponder, what would people do if this started to happen? If a politician told you that a book was “bad”, would you throw it away or burn it and go along with the crowd? Would you hide the book?  Would you help keep the word alive?  I have consistently been against book banning when it has unfortunately cropped up in my life.

·       Christian was a complicated character.  Further into the story, his motivations are revealed.  Why would a man who loves the written word like him go along with the Nazis?  He wants to help his friends, but he also has a much deeper and more personal reason.

·       The ending of this book was perfect.

·       There is a great authors note and discussion questions at the end of the novel.  It was so interesting that there really was a library of burned books in Paris.

Overall, The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White was a thought-provoking historical fiction novel with an intriguing story and wonderful characters.

Book Source: Thank-you to @roseannamwhite @tyndalehouse @austenprose for a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Title:  The Night Sparrow

Author:  Shelly Sanders

Narrated by:  Gilli Messer

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Length: Approximately10 hours and 26 minutes

Source: Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of physical book copy of The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders.  Thank-you to NetGalley for the audiobook and e-book review copies.

What genres that you are looking forward to reading this year?  I am enjoying reading lots of historical fiction.

Elena Bruskina is a university student studying German in the Soviet Union when it is invaded by Nazis.  She is Jewish and she and her family are forced into the Minsk ghetto.  After her family is killed, she escapes and vows to get revenge.  She joins an all-female sniper unit in Moscow.  She eventually also becomes redeployed as German translator searching for Hitler.  Will Elena make it through the war, and will she make a difference?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Author Shelly Sanders used facts from real life Soviet women snipers and interpreters to write the story.  Each chapter starts with a real quote from the women that served.

·       This story really showed the horrors of war.

·       It was disturbing to learn about “front line wives” where Soviet soldiers would pick a woman to be their front-line wife even if they didn’t want to be.  These women were ostracized when they returned home.

·       Soviets were the first to discover the Eagle’s Nest.  Elena is there to witness the horrors and to help prove that Hitler is indeed dead.

·       There were unique difficulties as Elena is Jewish and witnesses the murder of her family and other Jews because of their Jewish heritage.  The Soviets didn’t identify groups there were as denial that the Nazis were targeting and killing Jews.

·       The book tries to walk a fine line to say that Elena understands that the actions that the Soviet government takes towards its people and that Soviet soldiers take on German citizens are not ethical or good.

·       I’m not sure about the time shifts in this novel.  The narrative centered on one person, Elena, but it told the story through showing different points of time during the war. It would flash from the ending of the war to the beginning when Elena was first training. I don’t think this added to the story.  It made things more confusing.  I would have liked it better if the story was just told straight through from the beginning of the war to the end.  To be honest, it made me not care as much about some of the other characters as I knew they would die.  This may have been more confusing listening to the audiobook versus reading the physical book.

·       There is a great detailed author’s note at the end of the novel as well as a very thorough bibliography. 

·       The audiobook narrator was engaging.

 Overall, The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders is an intriguing historical fiction novel that focuses on the little-known story of female Soviet snippers and interpreters.

The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harpermusebooks for the review copy of The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar.

If you could undo the death of a fictional character who would that character be?

In 1939, Janusz Korczak is sixty years old and is a well-known author and children’s advocate in Warsaw, Poland.  He runs a large Jewish orphanage and is a widely respected man.  As the Germans take over, Korczak tries his best to keep his children fed, but will he be able to keep them safe through the war?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was my second Mario Escobar read in June and it was another heartfelt historical fiction novel set during WWII.  I really enjoyed both books and I am ready to read more.

·       Korczak was a great man and was so compassionate.  He had many times when he could have escaped and saved himself, but he stayed to help the children.  Much of the book was him trying to find any way that he could to survive and help the kids to thrive in desperate times.

·       The story is primarily told through a journal that is said to have been found that Korczak had kept.  This part of the story was put together using a short real diary that Korczak did keep in 1942 along with other facts from that time.

·       The description of the Ghetto was horrifying as people starved and turned desperate.

·       The ending of this story is seared into my mind. 

·       The end of the novel has great historical information about the real Janusz Korczak as well as references, and discussion questions.  This would make a great book club read.

Favorite Quotes:

“The Teacher of Warsaw is much more than a story about the life of Janusz Korczak and his orphanage.  It is the memory of those who, at the some of the world’s darkest moments, when evil’s grip on Europe seemed eternal, fought to turn the hellish Warsaw ghetto into a dignified, inhabitable place.” – from the author’s note

“Everything happens for a reason.  Even the greatest misfortunes can become the sweetest blessings.”

“The best lesson we can ever teach is to show love to those around us without expecting anything in return.”

“They were taking away the only noble, beautiful thing each of us has:  Our compassion and mercy.  When anything goes, nothing is worth it anymore.”

“How is the value of a human life to be measured?  Did culture or status make one person more valuable than a beggar child or an illiterate woman?”

Overall, The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar is a historical fiction WWII story that I will not forget.  Janusz Korczak lived during some of the darkest times in history in the Warsaw Ghetto, but he kept his humanity and compassion and was with his orphans until the very end.  If you love WWII historical fiction, you must read this novel.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

 

Title:  Beautiful Ugly

Author:  Alice Feeney

Narrated by:  Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton

Publisher: MacMillian Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 19 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley and checked out through Libby with the Kewaunee Public Library

Do you prefer reading books with single POV or multiple POV?

Grady Green has just found out that his latest book has made the best sellers list, but his joy is tempered as his wife Abby has not returned home to hear the news.  He receives a mysterious phone call from her and then she disappears.  A year later, Grady’s life has gone off the rails, but he has one last opportunity to get back on the right path.  His publicist has been left a writer’s retreat on a remote Scottish island that another of her famous writers used to use to write his books.  Grady can use it to crank out a book.  Once on the island, he notices that things are odd. Is he seeing his missing wife?  Why does everyone wear the same mysterious ring?  Can he leave the island?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This book had a great first chapter that pulls you in with Abby going missing.

·       I loved Richard Armitage as the main narrator of the audiobook.  There were also sound effects throughout the novel, especially with phone calls.

·       The story was primarily told through Grady’s point of view, but there are some chapters set in the past told through Abby’s point of view.

·       I loved the Scottish island setting of Amberly.  Being cut off from the rest of the world gives the story an eerie feel.

·       This novel had interesting characters.  I felt like I was losing my mind with Grady on the Island. I must admit that my favorite character though was Grady’s dog.

·       I enjoyed this thriller until the end.  There was just one too many twists and it fell into the very unbelievable category for me.  I was disappointed as I had really enjoyed the book until that point.

Favorite quote: “Sometimes I think we are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.”

Overall, Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney had all the makings of a great thriller, but unfortunately the ending made this an overall disappointing read.

The Secrets of Thorndale Manor by Syrie James (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Which author you would recommend everyone?  I have read and continue to enjoy novels by author Syrie James and I would recommend her to anyone.

Athena Taylor and her sister Selena have realized their dream of opening a school for young ladies at Thorndale Manor.  The manor has a checkered past with a recent occupant having been put to death for murdering a neighbor.  When one of their maids is discovered dead, Athena discovers that she was also linked with the past murder.  She decides to investigate the maids murder as well as the past murder.  What will she discover?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel picked up right after the first novel in the series, The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall.  I greatly enjoyed this novel.  You can read The Secrets of Thorndale Manor as a standalone novel, but it is even more fun to read the series in order.

·       I love historical mystery and I thought this was a really interesting mystery and suspense novel.  It had a gothic feel to the entire story as well, which I loved.  I don’t want to delve into the details and ruin it for others, but I enjoyed the twists and turns.

·       I also felt hints of Jane Eyre throughout the novel and there is a lovely author’s note in the end which discusses this as well.  I especially loved that Athena and Selena are working together to run a school for girls and are having a hard time getting students.  This seemed familiar as it was a dream of Charlotte Bronte as well to start a school and her and her sisters were also unable to get enough students to do so.

·       I loved the Victorian England setting.  I also liked getting to know the servants in the manor as well as the neighbors in the small village.

·       Ian Vernon is an architect. His family had previously owned Thorndale Manor, but he had to sell it due to the estate being so far in debt.  He is not happy about Athena investigating the old murder as his sister was convicted of it.   But as he gets to know Athena, sparks fly. I loved this romance.

·       The back of the book has a picture of the beautiful cover of the next book in the series, Danger at Darkmoor Park which will focus on Selena. I can’t wait to read it!

Overall, The Secrets of Thorndale Manor by Syrie James is an intriguing Victorian Gothic historical mystery and suspense novel.  It has great characters and a great story with many twists and turns.  I highly recommend it!

Book Source:  Thank-you to @syriejames @dragonbladepublishing @austenprose for a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

The Bootlegger’s Bride by Rick Skwiot (Get Red PR Book Tour)

 

Describe the last book you read in less than 3 words.  For this book I would chose love, death, legacy.

The Bootlegger’s Bride by Rick Skwiot starts with A.J. Nowak ice skating one winter and finding the body of his mother trapped beneath the ice.  Was it an accident or who killed his mother?  Hazel Robinson was a schoolteacher when she met the enigmatic Jan Nowak.  He had made his money as a bootlegger during prohibition but continued building his wealth afterwards through “banking.”  The two fall in love and get married.  Their life seems perfect until World War II interferes.  Will A.J. be able to find out the truth about his parents and move on with his own life?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I would almost rather call this book The Bootlegger’s Son.  I feel like it was really A.J.’s story as he pieces together the truth about his parents.  They weren’t perfect people but were caught in tragedies of the times they lived through.

·       Jan Nowak was a fascinating character.  He was the son of Polish immigrants and made is own way in the mean streets of St. Louis as a youngster involved in bootlegging.  He must make hard choices in order to keep himself alive and wealthy.

·       Hazel was a woman who loved to read and loved Jan.  When tragedy strikes, she is unable to move on with her life.  It was really sad reading about her decline into alcoholism and despair.

·       The novel flashed through time and different character points of view.  It was mostly told through A.J.’s, Jans, and Hazel’s point of view, but there were some others in there as well that helped to advance the story.  The time period was roughly the 1920s through the 1970s.

·       I loved the family home on Long Lake.  It sounded so peaceful.  Hazel’s sister Helen and brother-in-law, Raymond were the rock stars of this novel and took care of A.J.

·       It took me a bit to get into the book, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.  Love, revenge, depression, family, and more were themes that kept me riveted.  This book was a good mixture of family drama and historical mystery.

Overall, The Bootlegger’s Bride by Rick Skwiot was an engrossing historical fiction story with mystery, romance, and compelling characters.

Book Source:  Review copy from Blank Slate Press as part of the Get Red PR Book Tour.  Thank-you!

Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Murder is Easy

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Gemma Whelan

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 57 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.

How often do you read classics?

Luke Fitzwilliam is on a train when he meets Miss Pinkerton.  She is from a small English village, and she has quite the tale to tell him.  She said that there is murderer loose in her small English village of Wychwood and that she knows who will be murdered next.  Luke is sure Miss Pinkerton may be a bit batty, but after he reads of her death in a hit-and-run accident and that the next person she had stated would die has died mysteriously, he realizes that Miss Pinkerton may have been up to something after all.  He travels to Wychwood to investigate.  Will he be able to solve the crime?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I am participating in the #ReadChristie2025 Challenge.  The challenge this year is exploring Agatha Christie’s works through her characters and their careers.  The theme for June was amateurs.  Main character Luke Fitzwilliam is newly retired from overseas police work and is not a seasoned detective. 

·       This mystery also had a love story in it with Luke and Bridget who helps him on his investigation.  Bridget is also engaged to the much older Lord Easterfield.

·       This is a standalone mystery that is not part of the Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot series.  Superintendent Battle shows up at the end of this novel, but I wouldn’t really call it a Superintendent Battle novel.

·       I did guess the ending of this one!  I just had a bad feeling about one of the characters and it proved to be correct.  There were a lot of red herrings as well.

·       I really liked the small English village setting.  Everyone was a suspect, and everyone had different aspects on the murder victims to share.  It was interesting just how easy murder turned out to be in this novel.

·       Gemma Whelan narrated this novel and did a great job.  It was a fun audiobook to listen to!

Overall, Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie is an enjoyable classic English mystery set in a small village.

A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Where would you like to vacation this summer?  We are touring my second child around to colleges this year so that is our vacation.  We recently camped in the Duluth, Minnesota area and visited a college.  A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder is set in Paris, which is a place I have always wanted to visit.

Frances and George are relaxing and spending time in Paris when Frances meets with an old frenemy, Alice.  Frances’s first husband died in bed with Alice, so Frances and Alice have a strained relationship.  Regardless, Alice seeks Frances out to ask for her help investigating her daughter’s love interest.  His first wife was murdered, and Alice wants to know if he had anything to do with it. An incriminating piece of evidence is found with Sarah Bernhardt.  Could America’s sweetheart be a murderer?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is the eighth novel in the Countell of Harleigh Mystery series.  It can be read as a standalone novel.  I’ve only read the seventh novel in the series, and I enjoyed this addition.  I do need to go back and start this series from the beginning.

·       I love George and Frances.  They are both wonderful characters and such a great couple.  I love their relationship.  I also love that they are such great sleuths that the French police ask for their help in this book. Frances definitely took the lead on the investigation in this novel.

·       This was a delightful cozy mystery that kept me guessing.  I did not see the ending coming!

·       I loved the addition of actress Sarah Bernhardt as a suspect.

·       This novel had great female characters and empowerment in this novel. 

·       Frances’s sister Lily has just had a baby and I felt for her in this novel.  Her portrayal of a tired young mother really spoke to me.

·       I thought it was interesting that the plot included the second Olympics in Paris as well as the Paris theatre scene.  It was fun!

Overall, A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman is a delightful historical cozy mystery starring my favorite couple and crime solving duo, Frances and George.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @diannefreemanwrites @kensingtonbooks @austenprose for the review copy as a part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.