The Traitor's Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Kestra has been essentially banished from her father's home until she agrees to an arranged marriage.  Her father is a top official of the corrupt regime of the evil Lord Endrick.  Banishment, away from the expectations and restrictions of the court, suits Kestra, so it is with reluctance that she finds that she has been called home.  On the way her carriage is attacked by rebels who want to overthrow Endrick.  Holding her beloved mentor captive, they force her to join their quest to find the magical blade that has the power to kill the evil king.  As their plan to find the knife proceeds, and Kestra gets to know her captors, especially one named Simon, better, her eyes are opened to how her own family has participated in crushing the citizens of the kingdom.  She ultimately must decide whose side she is on and where her loyalties lie.

After reading a fairly heavy historical fiction, I was ready for some light fantasy.  This isn't very light, in fact, it is a bit dark-but it is exciting and engaging. Nielsen has created a very complicated plot with many twists and turns.  There is intrigue and counter intrigue and you never know who is going to betray whom. The characters are also complicated, each with their secret motives and personality flaws. It was also quite clean; although there was some violence, there was no sex, and very little bad language. My only complaint is that I think Nielsen wasn't quite sure if this is "high fantasy" or not.  Some of the conversation is really formal and old fashion, as you would expect in high fantasy, while some is pretty colloquial. They fight will swords and cannons. There is also one plot point, (I won't mention because it is a spoiler) that bothered me a bit, but these faults are minor.  Overall it was a good teen fantasy, and really well suited to the D&D-geek kids who plow through a book a week. I haven't decided if I will read the second book in the series or not. (2018, 400 p.)

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Ludwig (Lale) offers to give himself up to the Nazis in hopes that it will save his family.  He is shipped to Berkenau concentration camp where, by several chance encounters, he becomes the official tattooist, who tattoos the ID numbers on all the prisoners as they enter the camp.  His assignment gives him special privileges which he uses to try to help other prisoners whenever he can.  One prisoner means more to him than all the others, a young woman named Gita. It is his love for her that gives him the courage to survive and help her survive as well.

This book was one of the top ten books checked out at my library last year and that is why I read it even though Holocaust books are always hard for me to read.  I am the kind of person who always wants to think of the best of everyone, and it pains my soul to hear how some people can be so cruel to other people.  Though it was hard, I am glad I read it.  It is beautifully written and emotionally powerful.  I actually didn't realize until I read the author's note that it was based on a true story.   It is a great book and I do recommend it but know what you are getting into.  The author doesn't leave much out. There are horrific scenes, though the author has a good sense of how much detail to include.  But harder to read is the sadistic cruelty of many of the guards. Lale's humanity, hope, and love for Gita helps the reader get through the hard parts. (2018, 288 p)

Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

Joan is born to a tyrannical cannon in 814 Frankland, Joan has an eager mind and an academic aptitude.  She convinces her brother to teach her how to read, and catches the eye of a progressive scholar who teachers her Latin and Greek.  When her brother is killed in a Viking raid, Joan decides to cut her hair and assume her brother's identity so that she can continue her studies at a monastery.  There she learns healing lore and her medical skills eventually lead her to become the physician to the Pope.  Fate further takes her hand and leads her to be elected to the Papacy.

I found this title on our library's "Good Reads" book list and couldn't resist.  It is a fictionalization of a real historical legend that there once was a woman who briefly became Pope.  Many scholars discount the story and the Catholic church denies it, but some scholars argue that there are enough historical clues to make it plausible. 

The novel has many elements that I really enjoyed.  Joan is a complex and endearingly flawed character.  Her relationship with Gerold is likewise complex and believable. I loved all the historical detail and the sprinkling of Latin and Greek (both of which I can read a bit) throughout the text.  I am fascinated by that time period, which the author (in an end note) calls the darkest of the dark ages.  I am a bit of a medieval humanities geek, but I think a lot of people who have no trouble downing a massive epic historical fiction would enjoy this book. (1996, 844 p.)

Someone to Honor by Mary Balogh

Abigail Westcott, was raised as an aristocrat, but just before her first season it is discovered that her father had been a bigamist, and as a result she was technically "illegitimate". Abby's hope of an advantageous marriage is dashed, but over time she adapts and manages to live independently as an unmarried woman.  She feels her life is settling down when her brother returns, having been wounded in the Napoleonic wars, and she undertakes to keep him company while he recovers.  He has another companion, as well, a fellow officer, Gilbert Bennington. Abby's first experience with Lieutenant Bennington is not very positive for either of them, but as they are thrown together often, they start to build a kind of rapport. When Abby discovers that Lieutenant Bennington is also the product of a "Gentleman's" indiscretion, and is a widower seeking custody of his only child, Abby's independent streak begins to melt away, as she finds herself drawn to a man who, though below her rank, has qualities she cannot resist.

I am a little embarrassed to blog about this one.  I had just finished The Serendipity of Flightless Things, which I didn't like very much, and wanted to read a historical romance as a bit of an indulgence. I felt ready to try a new author so I picked this book, pretty much by random. It started out normally except the first time Abby meets Gil, he is shirtless, and the description of his appearance included the term, "rippling muscles."  That should have clued me in.  About half way through the book they get married, and when the author started to describe their wedding night, I thought, "wait, she isn't going to do this, is she?" but indeed she did.  Way way way too much detail!  I am sorry, even if they are married, I don't want to watch as they enjoy their wedding night. Some things are better kept behind closed doors. I hastily skipped to the end of the chapter.  But then a few pages later, she did it again (both the author and the main character)!  The second time I knew to skip ahead sooner. 

Beside the "a bit too graphic" interludes, it was a decent, B-level, historic novel with a very sweet, warm, and fuzzy ending. I guess it is a way for  women readers (I can't imagine a man reading this book) to enjoy a bit of erotica without too much guilt.  All in all it was probably very much tamer than many romances, but it was too much for my taste.  Now I know this is a thing, I will be more careful in the future choosing my historical romances. (387 p. 2019)

The Serendipity of Flightless Things by Fiadhdnait Moser

Finula, lives in Ireland with her father and grandmother.  She loves to hear her grandmother's stories, especially when she puts Finula's name in as the main character.  Her favorite one is about the swans that live on a nearby island who are really children transformed into birds by an evil witch.  Finn longs to go to the island to see the swans up close, but for some reason, her grandmother will not let her go.  Then one night she feels like they are calling to her and she decides to disobey her grandmother and try to swim to the island.  Her rash plan sets off a chain of events that leaves her wondering if her Grandmother's stories might be true.

This is an odd story.  When I read it I assumed it had been translated from a different language into English. A lot of children's books written in Europe have a different feel from those written in the US.  I was surprised to discover that Ms Moser was born in Boston.  I think my main complaint about the book is that I didn't think the author motivated the children's decisions enough.  They would do or say things and I would wonder, "why did they do that?" Also, at times, the magic system was a bit ad hoc.  A character or the plot in general needed a magical element to solve a problem, and,-surprise- there it is.  I also found it odd that once in the magical place, Finula "just can't believe in magic," even though she has just experienced some amazing magical occurrences. The book is engaging enough that I finished it, but it is not my favorite children's fantasy of the year, for sure. (314 p. 2019)

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

In 1986 there was a terrible fire in the Los Angeles Central Library.  Over 400,000 books either burned or were destroyed by water and over $2,000,000 of damage was done to the building.  Fire investigators thought the fire was the result of arson, and believed that a man, Harry Peal, was the one that held the match, but there was never enough evidence to convict him.  Thirty years later the library has been rebuilt and expanded, but the mystery remains. In this engaging nonfiction Ms Orlean has done an amazing amount of research to lay all the evidence before the reader.  She also gives an fascinating history of one of the US's most innovative libraries, and a peek into what life at the LA Library is like today.

This book really impacted me.  I was working on a project installing some new book shelves at my own library when I listened to Orlean's gripping description of the spread of the fire through the stacks.  I must say I kept tearing up and struggled to keep my composure because I couldn't imagine how devastated I would be if something happened like that at my library. In other parts of the book I marveled at all the LA Library has done in its 130 year history to try to meet the needs of the community and felt inspired in my own efforts to assess my community's needs. I want to print off the chapter where she follows the current library system director around for a day, and make my library board read it. The book is part history and part love song to public libraries, one the resonates in this librarian's soul. (2018, 336 p.)