The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab – 384 pages Book Blurb: Maria Florkowska is many things: daughter, avid chess player, and, as a member of the Polish underground resistance in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, a young woman brave beyond her years. Captured by the Gestapo, she...
The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel – 356 pages ARC from Netgalley and Gallery Books for an honest review Book Blurb: Book Blurb: After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young...
The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer – 416 pages ARC from Netgalley and Graydon House for an honest review Book Blurb: In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has...
The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff – 336 pages ARC from Park Row and the author for an honest review. Book Blurb: 1942. Sadie Gault is eighteen and living with her parents amid the horrors of the Kraków Ghetto during World War II. When the Nazis liquidate...
Half Life by Jillian Cantor – 416 pages ARC from Harper Perennial and the author for an honest review Book Blurb: In Poland in 1891, Marie Curie (then Marya Sklodowska) was engaged to a budding mathematician, Kazimierz Zorawski. But when his mother insisted she...
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel –400 pages ARC from Gallery Books for an honest review. Book Blurb: Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, is shelving books one morning when her eyes lock on a photograph in a magazine lying open nearby. She...
Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control – from the author of The Laws of Human Nature. I... read more
Review:The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar is another excellent example of creating a novel with richly layered characters while comparing Indian and American lifestyles. In this story, Remy returns to Bombay, which he has dubbed the museum of failures, as he sees his native country through the lens of his American life. He’s there to meet his friend’s niece with the hopes of adopting her baby, as he and his wife are unable to conceive. This innocuous trip turns into a much more complex time as Remy is hit with roadblocks time and time again.It’s the story about Remy and his mother that really got to me. He lived a life of never measuring up and feeling quite unloved by her. Through their time together in Bombay, he learns critical information that allows him to see her in a more thoughtful and understanding way. This time away has brought what’s left of his shattered family back together.His trip extends much longer than anticipated and he realizes the value of being home. His American wife Kathy seemed too good to be true, but I did like their relationship, born of trust and equality. Remy’s life as a poet was buried away, but through his visit in India, he realizes the importance of doing work you love, not just working for a higher paycheck.Overall, this was a satisfying read and one that fans of Umrigar will appreciate. Her last book, Honor, along with The Space Between Us, are my two favorites of hers. I haven’t met an Umrigar book I didn’t enjoy!@thrity_umrigar @algonquinbooks 📘: Do you dress up for Halloween? If yes, what's your costume of choice? If not, what's a scary book you've read? ... See MoreSee Less