ARC Review - How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

4 ✩✩✩✩



“Time is an illusion.” – Albert Einstein









How would you live your life if you could not age? We all wish we could live forever. Tom Hazard has been alive for centuries due to a rare condition. 

“Do not fall in love.” He was told. 

Through centuries Tom has been moving from town to town and has become tired of it. He moves back to London and becomes a history teach at a local high school. Because he has been alive so long he’s a perfect fit for the position as he can teach history by his memory, as he lived it. 

Throughout his life he has encountered a few historic people along the way. He performed with William Shakespeare, sailed the seas with Captain William Cook and had drinks with F. Scott Fitzgerald. He has also loved and lost. 

In London he meets a French teacher, Camille, at the school where he works. This awakens in him something that has been asleep for hundreds of years. He must find the courage to fight for what he wants instead of being told how to live his life. He belongs to a secret society which pretty much has told him how to live his life. He is in constant fear of the future. 

This book is a wonderful reminder of how NOT to live your life. Living forever is not as appealing as it sounds. It will move you and help you see that time is only a word, and that our past is as close as our present. 

I truly enjoyed this book and the characters are memorable. I was afraid that it would be a confusing intricate story due to the fact that Tom has lived so long.  It was an easy plot to follow and throughout the story, I wanted to know what would happen next. The way the story is told reminded me a lot of Forrest Gump, with a bit of The Time Machine, though there is no time travel here. 

I enjoy historical fiction and this book took me to periods I never visited before and left me wanting more.

A.R.C Review - The Amazing Adventures of Aaron Broom by A.E. Hotchner

3 ✩✩✩

I think I really enjoyed this book. There were a few lines that made me cringe (being the feminist that I am) but I understand that's the way things were back then. I enjoyed all the references to classic novels and authors. I thought Aaron Broom was a likable character. I was rooting for him from the beginning. I liked most of the characters he encounters in his adventures but thought the story moved a bit too quickly (I read this in one sitting). 

I am a big fan of historical fiction, with stories about the great depression being at the top of my list, which was why I requested this book. This reminded me a bit of one of my favorite books, No Promises in The Wind by Irene Hunt. It touches on the same struggles of the depression as well as kids finding ways to survive in this period. 

I am a glutton for punishment and want a book to make me cry! I want to sob and curse and cry some more. Though this book didn't have that effect on me, I think I liked it. It reads like a neat story you could possibly read with your kids. Maybe. 

Review - The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel

4 ✩✩✩✩

“If you believe very strongly in something, stand up and fight for it.” 
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

The thing I enjoy most about reading WWII historical fiction is that I get to enjoy many different perspectives of that time period written by different authors. The Room on Rue Amélie is another beautiful story of resilience and hope during the darkest times in history. 

The story begins in New York City in 1938 where Ruby Henderson is attending university. She meets a gentleman by the name of Marcel at a café and soon thereafter Ruby’s life has taken her to Paris where her husband is from. Ruby’s life changes when the war begins and she must take it upon herself to do something to help the cause. 

She meets Charlotte, a Jewish girl who lives with her parents across the hall from Ruby. Together Charlotte and Ruby attempt to make sense of the injustices of war and work together to make a difference in the war effort. This book had me in tears and filled me with hope. The characters are beautifully crafted and you will fall in live with them. You will cheer them on and cry with them and hope with them. As you read along you will want nothing more than a happy ending. 

If you read The Nightingale I think you will enjoy this one. It’s a story of love, hope, resilience and having the strength to be who you are and do what you are meant to do in life.

Review - As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner

5 ✩✩✩✩✩

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire." -Ferdinand Foch

My love for historical fiction continues to grow and As Bright ad Heaven has nurtured my soul! What an amazing story! This is a story about love and family. About choices, consequences and the amazing resilience of the human spirit. 

Set in 1918 Philadelphia during the Great War and The Spanish Flu pandemic which is believed to have claimed the lives of about 50 million people, worldwide.

After the death of her infant son, Henry, who was born with a heart defect, Pauline and Thomas Bright make a decision to move from the small town of Quakertown Pennsylvania to Philadelphia in hopes of giving their three daughters a better life. 

They arrive in Philadelphia with their daughters; Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa. The family moves into Thomas’ Uncle Fred’s home and begin anew. Soon they are faced with challenges that are greater than anyone ever imagined. Lives are changed in the chaos that was The Great War and the Flu pandemic. Choices will be made with great, life changing consequences. 

One of my favorite things in a book is to read the story though the eyes of each of the characters. The story is told in four different points of view which makes it that much easier to fall in love with each one of them. It contains a set of unforgettable characters with lives that change as the story progresses. They each grow, or are forced to grow in a world where hope seems to have been lost and replaced by despair and anguish. 

Life is made up of choices and each choice we make comes with a consequence, a cause and effect, if you will. Sometimes the consequences are revealed to us right away, while others might take longer, much longer to appear. Sometimes an entire lifetime. Some choices are small, like weather to have tea instead of coffee, buy a red car instead of the white. Some are life changing and this story is the perfect example of how life works in mysterious ways. 

If you enjoy historical fiction as much as I do, you will most definitely enjoy this one. It will have you in tears from start to finish and leave you with a wonderful and warm feeling in your heart.

Review - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

5 ✩✩✩✩✩

“Hope can get you through anything.” ― Jamie Ford

I like a book to transport me to places I can only dream about (or read about). I want to be taken back in time to a period where war tests the human spirit. My fascination with WWII historical fiction has taken me on numerous adventures with each book I read. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet has taken me on an amazing journey.

The story is set in 1942 Seattle’s Chinatown and Japan Town. Henry Lee, a twelve year old Chinese American, attends an all white school where he is constantly tormented by bullies for being ‘different’. Henry is a quiet kid who keeps his head down and goes tough life seemingly unnoticed. At home, Henry is asked to only speak English even though both his parents only speak Cantonese, thus, creating a barrier on communication between Henry and his father.

The conflict in the Pacific has cause animosity between Chinese and Japanese living in the west coast. This causes Henry’s father to become obsessed with the war and his hatred toward Japanese people grows.

At school, Henry meets a Japanese girl named Keiko. She is about the same age as Henry and they immediately become best friends. This friendship causes Henry a great deal of anxiety and fear because he knows how much his father dislikes Japanese people.

As the story progresses, so does Henry and Keiko’s friendship. Together they try to make sense of the world around them. With FBI raids, evacuations, Jazz music and bullies, Henry and Keiko must find a way to maintain their friendship. This story is a beautiful reminded that love will always triumph. Hope is what keeps the human spirit alive.

With stunning detail and outstanding narrative, Jamie Ford’s debut novel is a must read.  In these uncertain times we’re currently living, it’s important to remember that things can only get better. They should! Henry’s story has given me hope. 

Review - The Last Suppers by Mandy Mikulencak

4 ✩✩✩✩

“Life becomes easier and more beautiful when we can see the good in other people.” ― Roy T. Bennett

I am very selective with my ARC requests. When I read the description on this one I immediately requested this book. I am a big fan of historical fiction and was very excited about this one. 

The story is set in the 1950’s Louisiana and follows the story of Ginny, a young woman working in the kitchen of Greenmount State Penitentiary. This book sucked me in from the very beginning and was difficult to put down. 

This book reminded me a lot of The Green Mile more so than The Help. At times Ginny is a bit impulsive which shows just how young she actually is and naïve. The characters are developed just right and the story keeps you guessing. 

I really enjoyed this read and recommend it. If you are a fan of The Green Mile, I know you will enjoy this one.

Review - The Tree House by Glenn Haybittle

4 ✩✩✩✩

“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” 
― Helen Keller

Lately I have been reading a lot of WWII historical fiction and every single book that I have read about that time period has been amazing. This one was no different. The story moves along quickly and touches on everything I enjoy reading about WWII. I am always intrigued by the stories, be it in fiction or otherwise.

This book follows the story of Max who shares his story and one of his best friend, Ada. He shares his story his grandson who is dealing with issues of his own. Max’s story of friendship, betrayal and redemption was very touching and the book left me wanting more.

I did find a few parts that were difficult to read but the rest of the book made up for it. If you like historical fiction I believe you will enjoy this one. 

Review - The Runaway Children by Sandy Taylor

5 ✩✩✩✩✩

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.” ― Mark Twain

WOW!!!!! 

There are books that leave a mark in the heart of a reader. A book that is so beautifully written that you are sure it will become an instant classic. I believe this is one of them. It reads like a classic. If you love Anne of Green Gables, Jane Eyre and Before We Were Yours you will fall in love with this one. 

The story takes place in 1942 London during The Blitz bombings of WWII. Thirteen year old Nell, her eleven year old brother Tony, and five year old sister, Olive are asked to evacuate the city they live in as a means of surviving the threat of daily bomb raids. Nell is forced to take on the role of protector and be her siblings’ only guide. 

Sandy Taylor takes us on an unforgettable journey of hope, love, heartbreak and resilience. The book had me hoping and praying for a good ending because I fell in love with the characters right away. I wanted them to be okay, to fight and survive and be loved and cared for. 

I am a huge fan of WWII historical fiction and this book is now one of my favorite. It’s Right up there with the Book Thief, The Nightingale and very few others. One of the character in particular, stole my heart; made me laugh and cry and hope and cheer right along. 

I always look for subtle ways in which the author develops their characters. I enjoy seeing them grow and I don’t mean in a physical-grown-up sense. Nell was developed in a way that left me feeling proud of her. From a lost girl in East End to becoming her sibling’s only hope. 

This story had me in tears throughout. Tears of joy and sorrow. I cheered and cringed. Each one of the characters is special to me as most showed how wonderful it is to be able to help those less fortunate. It left me feeling hopeful and wanting more! Only few books can have that effect on me. I am ready to read it again!