The Lost Girls of Paris

 It appears that this genre of WWII novels are very popular today. This book by Pam Jenoff combines three different plot lines about three different women whose lives intersect after the end of the war. 

It tells the story of a network of British female spies who made it possible to keep the lines of communication open during the war. 

The twist and turns of the story will keep you wondering who the traitor really is. 

After reading these series of books I almost wish that they were required reading in high school to help bring to life the struggles of the European countries fighting against the invasion of the Nazis, and the important role that women played in the war. 

The Book of Lost Names

 

The title of this book by Kristin Harmel caught my eye while I was perusing the book section at the Walmart in Stephenville. 

There is little comparison between this Walmart and city Walmarts when it comes to books. Without the competition of a Barnes and Noble around the corner, the Stephenville store has an impressive collection to choose from. 

Once again this is a story of a young woman during WWII who joins the French Resistance as a forger. Through her artistic talents she provides a way for Jewish children to find safe passage out of France. 

When I was checking out at the register the man behind me in line commented on the title as well. 

I don’t think this novel will disappoint, and holds up to its intriguing title. 

The 52 Week Book Challenge Revisited

 

I thought I’d take a minute to write about the book challenge I began in January. My goal was     to read one book a week.

My reason for doing so was to increase the number of books I would be reading. Over time I had found myself reading less, and less fiction so in order to change that habit around I thought a book challenge might work. 

Sadly, what I found myself doing was reading several “little” books to make up for the longer books that were taking me more than a week to read. 

It all boiled down to the whole letter of the law vs the spirit of the law. 

Yes, technically I could say I was reading a book a week, but what actually happened was that reading became a chore instead of a joy. 

When I gave myself permission to back off I continued to read books that I enjoyed without the constraints of having to finish them under a deadline. 

Since the beginning of the year I have read a myriad of books about World War II.

They have primarily been stories of women who served as spies in France during the war. 

They have been informative, and eye opening when it came to the bravery of these young women. As much as I wanted to be a spy back when I was ten, I know I don’t possess the courage required to do so. 

So my plans are just to continue reading as the year goes by. There may only be twenty books read vs fifty-two, but even so that’s more than I’ve been reading in the past. 

The Alice Network

 This novel by Kate Quinn spans both World War I and World War II. It tells the story of a young woman in 1947 who travels to Europe with a dual purpose in mind. 

Her mother accompanies her to take care of the unwed pregnancy of her daughter, and the young woman hopes to locate her long lost cousin whom she had lost contact with during the war. 

She reaches out to a former member of the Alice Network, a group of young women spies during WWI.

The story unveils their attempts to locate the missing cousin, but it also casts a light on the important role these brave young women played in defeating the Germans. 

What I really enjoyed about this book was the WWI connection since most of the books I’ve read recently took place during WWII.

The Giver of Stars

I actually had an opportunity to listen the the author, Jojo Moyes speak about this book at the North Richland Hills Library a couple of years ago.

At the time I had not read any of her works, but I always enjoy listening to author talks, so I wasn’t disappointed.

I knew I would enjoy this book because it had to do with books, and people who love books. It takes place in 1937 during the depression when President and Mrs. Roosevelt’s commitment to getting books into the hands of ordinary people results in creating the Pack Horse Library. 

Through funding from the WPA a small town in Kentucky hires a group of women to travel by horse and mule up into the mountains to deliver books to some willing and some unwilling mountain folk. 

I think what I loved most about this book were the characters who kept drawing me back to the story. I also enjoyed the love stories of the two main characters as they each search for a partner to share their life with. 

I highly recommend this book, and will definitely be checking out some of her other books. 

The Handwriting on the Wall

I actually began the week reading a different book, about an Irish girl who is kidnapped and taken to Barbados as an indentured servant. However, because of her young age they were allowed to keep her in bondage well beyond the normal seven years, until she was twenty one. 

The subject was interesting and informative, but the writing style was pretty laborious to read.

 I’ve decided if I’m not really enjoying the book I will move on if there is still time to finish another book that week. 

I had already begun The Handwriting on the Wall by Dr. David Jeremiah, so I decided to finish it. I had been wanting to study the book of Daniel more in depth, and found this book while searching online. 

I have recently begun watching Dr. Jeremiah, and have enjoyed his teaching style. Reading this book along with the Book of Daniel really increased my comprehension, and peaked my interest to continue learning more about this prophetic and relevant book. 

I plan on studying the book of Revelation also this year. 

I highly recommend this book as a starting point if you are curious to learn more about Daniel’s amazing story. 

Killing Patton

This book by Bill O’Reilly which actually belonged to my Dad. I had kept it thinking Chuck might read it one day since he enjoys military history. 

After reading about France during World War II in The Nightingale, I was interested in learning more about that time period. 

I really enjoyed reading this book, although the subject matter was hard to read. I think everyone studying history in school needs to read a book like this. For me World War II was more about dates and names, and I don’t think I really grasped the extent of the carnage. 

After reading more about this time period it made me realize how blessed I was to have been born when I was, and how easy my life has been compared to those who have gone before me. 

I have several other WWII works of fiction on my bookshelf, but will be spreading them out throughout the year. 

I don’t think I would have ever picked this book up, but am so glad I did.